Rebbeca Owino could never picture herself dressed in royalty or owning a mansion while she worked as a house helper.
Her unwavering determination and resilience saw her rise to her prestigious position as a cabin crew member at Etihad Airways and a landlady with two-bedroom flats and a five-bedroom mansion.
Raised by a single mother struggling to feed her many siblings, Owino learnt how to babysit at the tender age of six.
''I came from a very dysfunctional family, my mom got married to my father but the marriage didn't work, therefore she decided to be a single mother,'' Rebbeca recalled
Her story takes a poignant turn when, during her early teens, she relocated to Nairobi to live with her sister, who worked as a house help and married a labourer in the construction industry.
''By then I was 18, I tried to find scholarships but they kept dropping me along the way because I was often sent home for school fees,'' Rebbeca vividly recalled.
In the quest for her own path, Rebecca made the decision to leave her sister's household as they were struggling financially. This pivotal moment led her to explore off jobs, and eventually, she embarked on her journey as a nanny in Komarock, Nairobi.
Life as a Nanny
Rebecca, in an interview with Lynn Ngugi, stated that her life as a nanny wasn't rosy.
She faced the hardships of working with abusive bosses, enduring situations where some of them made advances towards her.
The air hostess recalled a distressing incident where she was thrown out of a house in Buruburu after her boss made inappropriate advances towards her.
''After being thrown out when sitting outside, planes were flying over us and I told the lady that I had a dream of flying in the plane,'' she revealed.
Another incident from her past involved a situation where her employer threw her out of the house, forcing her to seek refuge at JCC church led by Bishop Allan Kiuna and his wife, Reverend Cathy Kiuna.
Within the sanctuary, she found both solace and opportunity, working on various church-related chores. Here, she found a place to stay, which allowed her to further her studies.
The church helped her enroll in adult classes popularly known as Gumbaru schools, where she completed her studies and sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Exams (KCSE).
Owino, who had ventured into modeling too, was encouraged by multiple individuals to pursue the trade as she had the potential to succeed. Motivated by the kind words, she chased after her modeling dream even while attending Gumbaru classes, dedicating breaks to hone her new skills.
The landlady affirmed that she held a lifelong dream of becoming an air hostess, a dream that gained momentum thanks to the encouragement of one of her bosses, who recommended that she explore modeling as it was ingrained in her.
She vividly recalled how Reverend Cathy Kiuna went above and beyond to support her, even covering her rent as she worked her way through the city.
''Pastor Cathy was very encouraging along the way and she used to encourage us to start projecting towards our dreams,'' she stated.
During this time, Rebecca secured various job opportunities in Nairobi, including working as an usher at the Tusker Project Fame competitions. Simultaneously, she continued attending her Gumbaru school to complete her secondary education.
As fate would have it, an opportunity itself while she was in her Gumbaru classes. She learned of openings with a Dubai-based company that was recruiting sales personnel. Owino decided to take a chance and applied for the position.
After successfully securing the job in Dubai, she obtained the necessary passports and visa, setting off on her journey to the Middle East for her sales and marketing role. It was in Dubai that Rebecca's star began to shine, marking a remarkable turning point in her life.
Dare to Dream
During her stay in Dubai, she followed her dream of being a flight attendant with her move, as the city made it easier for her to work closer to the biggest airline companies in the world.
She diligently explored job opportunities with various airlines, making inquiries and submitting applications. Her persistence paid off when she received a call from one of the airlines that was actively recruiting flight attendants.
''People were telling me to keep trying because, at times, I had low confidence,'' Rebeca stated.
She later landed a job with the Fly Emirates, which was her breakthrough and a dream come true in her quest to be a flight attendant.
After several exams, she served on various flights in the Emirates Group-owned airlines, traversing the world's largest cities and becoming one of the best cabin crew staffers.
''The journey was rewarding but it was not easy at first,'' Rebbeca stated recalling her journey working as a flight attendant.
Even after being made redundant in 2020 during the pandemic as companies resorted to mass layoffs to stay afloat, Rebecca found herself in a fortunate position. By that point, she had made wise investments using her earnings and loans she earnings and loans she had acquired while at work.
Long Term Investments
''I paid off my first loan for the first house (rentals), then I took a second loan which I used to build my own house,'' she stated, adding that she even improved the lives of her siblings back home.
Having worked in a government-owned airways company, she secured loans and invested in the constitution of two-bedroomed flats. Through her determination and financial acumen, she became the proud owner of a five-bedroom mansion.
She encouraged expatriates to invest from their salaries and also prepare for unforeseen circumstances as jobs do not offer long-term security.
''That is not your native land. You can have your passport or even nationality but should make an investment back in your home,'' she says.
