Names are powerful and with a name like Wakesho one knows that they are indeed a child who will define tomorrow. Working in a male dominated industry, the ever smiling Liz Wakesho Marami is a force to be reckoned with. She loves what she does and she does what she loves whole-heartedly. Wonder what that is? A maritime pilot.
Having been brought up by the Indian Ocean, it is no wonder she found herself in a career that would bring her back home, cruising along in the environment of her upbringing. While attending Mama Ngina Girls High School in Mombasa County, Liz always knew she wanted to achieve distinction but she also aimed to earn a living by doing something exciting. When a scholarship opportunity at the Arab Academy for Maritime Transport and Technology in Alexandria, Egypt availed itself, she did nt hesitate. The programme offered a new path for her, a challenging one but that was something she had craved.
She was among a group of applicants chosen to study navigation at the academy, a programme which took five years. That was the entry path into her maritime career. Her college life was quiet with little time for social engagement and activities. In 2013 Liz graduated with a degree in Nautical Technology. But a degree was only the first step; now she had to earn her sea hours in order to progress through the ranks. A mandatory eighteen months at sea and additional training at Kenya Ports Authority followed. Thereafter she was licensed as a Second Officer Class III.
Working out of Kilindini Harbour as a marine pilot Liz’s daily routine involved directing ships entering and exiting the harbour; into and out of their berths. Requiring a steady hand and keen nautical assessments she would safely navigate vessels through the narrow channel of Kenya’s largest harbour. Elizabeth takes much pride in the work she has put in her career and in 2014 she became the first female marine pilot in Kenya.
Due to the gender imbalances she has found and faced in the maritime industry she has started her own initiative ‘Against the Tide’ to build a reasonable gender balance in the industry. It has been a hard slog for her as a woman, trying to get a posting on a commercial ship to earn her maritime hours was incredibly frustrating with few shipping companies wanting to take on a female mariner on their long voyages. In an industry designed for men, progress has been difficult but she has achieved it nonetheless.
This is not her whole story though; her passion for navigation is matched with a love for fashion and Liz runs her own independent lifestyle blog – Amor.
What has she learnt throughout her career? Patience. In her words of wisdom to younger girls she mentors, she says, “Good things come to those who wait.” In 2017 Liz embarked on a six month voyage in the Mediterranean to earn her hours for the next step in her quest to one day be a Commanding Officer.
Hongera Maritime Officer Liz Wakesho Marami for changing the tide in Kenya’s maritime industry. Keep cruising!