fbpx
Potentash
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
    • Interviews
  • Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Entertainment
    • Internet
    • Events
    • Music
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
    • Interviews
  • Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Entertainment
    • Internet
    • Events
    • Music
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
No Result
View All Result

Pearls And Heels: Wandia Njoya

Rayhab Gachango by Rayhab Gachango
September 21, 2015
in Pearls And Heels
Reading Time: 3 mins read
130 7
0
164
SHARES
911
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterWhatsApp

Today’s Pearls and Heels lady is Wandia Njoya. Wandia defines herself as an African, woman, teacher and Christian. She heads the Department of Language and Performing Arts at Daystar University, where she also teaches literature, French, and writing classes. She also considers herself an intellectual who provides an African perspective on global and local issues.

Wandia 2014

1. Describe your typical day?

Wake up, go to the office, do my paper work and meet or teach students, then go home and start my laptop again to do the work that requires more concentration like writing reports, marking papers or writing for my blog. When I’m not in the office I’m networking with the arts and business world to look for opportunities to benefit my students

2. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A lawyer. Now I thank God that I didn’t pass well enough to get into law school.

3. If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

I’d be bolder in offering a professional opinion among my peers. I used to be ashamed that I was educated and not the poor rural African woman whom NGOs and government are supposed to help. So I’d try not to speak out when men are in the room unless I absolutely had to. But those absolutely ended up being many because I could not keep quiet in the face of prejudice against women and against the arts and humanities. If I had another chance, I wouldn’t apologize for who I am.

4. What would you say are the top three skills needed to succeed at your job?

a) Humility (Kenyans put too much focus on papers and so academics tend to get arrogant about their degrees), b) a love for people (and a desire to serve them through knowledge and teaching) c) a global consciousness (you need to know what’s happening in the world and how you fit in that larger picture so that you don’t get distracted by ego trips and side shows).

5. As a professional how is it working in Nairobi? Is Nairobi open to what you do or what could be better?

Nairobi is a great place to work because it is very networked and connected. I still confuse people about the value of my work because the expectation of academics is to just give notes and exams and let people be.

6. What motivates you?

My students. I judge the value of everything I do by what lessons my students can learn from it.

7. How do you define success?

By a legacy that lingers a century after you’re gone.

8. Who has been your greatest inspiration?

Many people inspire me, but Profs. Micere Mugo, Paul Tiyambe Zeleza and Lewis Gordon are prominent on my list.

9. What is your favourite aspect of your job?

Reading, developing ideas and interacting with students.

10. What would you say are the key elements to being successful?

Humility, opening your life to others (which means some loss of privacy ) and vulnerability (the openness that you could be wrong and the humility to admit it)

11. What advice would you give somebody just starting out in your line of work?

Forget about the degrees and focus on ideas that benefit society

12. What has been your most satisfying moment in terms of your career?

When a student says that their interaction with me changed how they thought about something or did something.

13. What makes you happy?

Students growing intellectually, spiritually and socially.

14. What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?

I love sewing, knitting and doing anything creative with my hands.

15. Where do you see yourself in around 10 years?

With a professorship, and back in the classroom teaching and mentoring students full time. Right now my time is divided between that and administrative duties.

You can find Wandia on Twitter at @wmnjoya.

Check out Pearls And Heels: Faith Oneya

Share66Tweet41SendShare11Pin15
Previous Post

10 Fun Ways Families Can Spend Quality Time Together

Next Post

When innovation breeds trouble #IstandwithAhmed

Rayhab Gachango

Rayhab Gachango

Potentash Founder. A creative writer. The Managing Editor at Potentash. Passionate about telling African stories and stories about the inclusion of minorities. Find me at hi@potentash.com. “We're all stories, in the end.” ― Steven Moffat

Next Post
Ahmed Mohamed. Image from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34266389

When innovation breeds trouble #IstandwithAhmed

Please login to join discussion

Recommended

Ondi Madete pictured prelude the release of Tangawizi album. Picture courtesy, Ondi Madete.

Interviews: Ondi Madete Talks About Her Musical Journey And How She Crowdfunded Her Upcoming Album ‘Tangawizi’

July 3, 2019
239
Image from https://buff.ly/2UaKJgX

The Singlehood Series: My Date Shocked Me With His Crazy Request

December 3, 2018
2.7k

Popular Stories

  • Pregnant black woman holding her belly

    The Singlehood Series: On The Day I Gave Birth My Husband Started Acting Funny After Going Through My Messages. I Was Not Ready For The Heartbreak That Followed

    353 shares
    Share 141 Tweet 88
  • My Fiancé Cheated On Me And I Helped To Take Care Of Their Child

    216 shares
    Share 86 Tweet 54
  • 7 Tips For A Successful Visa Interview

    47 shares
    Share 19 Tweet 12
  • One Night Of Pleasure, Years Of Regret And Secrets Part 1

    3082 shares
    Share 1233 Tweet 771
  • Marrying Is Our Husband’s Hobby; His Newest Wife Was His Second Wife’s House Maid

    67 shares
    Share 27 Tweet 17

Potentash Blog

Potentash

Potentash is an award-winning lifestyle blog. We publish lifestyle content that intersects with health, women, beauty, travel, business, relationships, finances and entertainment.

Explore

  • The Singlehood Series
  • From Stairs To Ramps
  • Man Around Nairobi
  • Pearls And Heels
  • Personal Finance
  • Food + Beverage
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Reviews

Get the Potentash Newsletter

  • Newsletter Archive
  • Subscribe
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2023. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima

  • Login
No Result
View All Result
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
    • Interviews
  • Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Entertainment
    • Internet
    • Events
    • Music
    • Books

Copyright © 2023. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In