When Florence Nkatha Thiaine was in Std 3 she started accompanying her oldest sister during her work on Sundays. Her sister was a nun and her work was delivering care and treatment to people who had basic medical needs. In her rural home of Tuuru in Meru county people had to walk long distances to receive medical attention at the mission site where the sisters were and they were grateful for any support they would receive. One Sunday Florence recalls watching her sister dress burn wounds for an old lady who was in deep and visible pain. The woman’s agony left an indelible mark on Florence who felt that more could have been done to ease the pain she had witnessed. She decided at that point that when she grew up she would find a way to treat people through nursing care.

Little did she know it would not be an easy road. Although she was clear that she wanted to be a nurse when she grew up, her strong willed father had other plans for her. He felt she should be a teacher and after completing secondary school she was made to apply for teacher training. She tried to share that it wasn’t the path for her but like in many Kenyan families, her parents view on her career overruled hers. Her future soon became a battle of wills in the household. Florence was the fifth of ten children and her dad was keen that one of them should become a teacher like him and the first four hadn’t complied so now it was up to Florence. Though she was accepted into teacher training she refused to go for registration.

One, then two then three years passed as the war of wills raged. She was determined to become a nurse but her dad was dead set against it telling her he could give her a piece of land to farm if she decided that teaching wasn’t for her. During the third year she secretly applied to two nursing schools and was accepted at both. When the acceptance letter came from Nkubu Nursing School she presented it for consideration but the answer came back loud and clear – No! A few weeks later she received another acceptance this time from Consolata Nursing School in Nyeri. In tears she begged her uncle to intervene and pay her fees so she could pursue her dream. He agreed to step into the family impasse and diplomatically he convinced her father to pay the fees. Three and half years later Florence was the proud holder of a diploma in nursing. Now it was onto the next battle – to move to Nairobi.

Once again her dad was against the idea – Nairobi was not the place for young single women but by now Florence had figured out how to get her way. She pleaded to go for a short visit to see her brother who was working in the city and once she got there immediately started tarmacking with other fellow Consolata grads. Lady Luck was smiling down on her as during their first week looking for work she got a nursing position at Coptic hospital. Her father was pleasantly surprised at her success at finding a job so quickly and couldn’t argue with the fact that she was now bringing home a paycheque. Finally, the tension eased. After a year on the job, she put in an application at Aga Khan hospital and got a short term contract which turned into a full time position later that year.

Twelve years later Florence is living her dream as a registered nurse with a senior position as a clinical educator in the surgical ward still at Aga Khan. In a twist of life she finally fulfilled her fathers’ dream of being a teacher. She has furthered her education in nursing but most importantly, each day she is keeping the promise to her nine year old self – helping people with their pain and putting them on the road to recovery. She is a testimony to staying focused in the pursuit of a calling, even in the face of difficulty and delays. Truly Florence is the embodiment of the Kenyan spirit that doesn’t give up!