Florence Nkatha was nine years old when she knew she wanted to become a nurse. She was in Std 3 at the time, living in Tuuru in Meru County, and the decision was birthed from watching her eldest sister dress the burn wounds of an old lady in pain. The woman’s agony left an incredible 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 was older she would play a part in ensuring people would receive the best nursing care.
The road wouldn’t be easy. Florence’s biggest challenge came after she completed secondary school. She was hell-bent on convincing her father that she wanted to be a nurse. But her strong-willed father had other plans. He felt she would be a better fit as a teacher, following in his footsteps. There was no room for negotiation. Though she was accepted into Kenya Science Teacher’s College, she refused to go for registration.
One, then two then three years passed as the war of wills raged. During the third year, she secretly applied to two nursing schools. When an 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 a 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 but Florence, ever determined, pleaded to go for a short visit to see her brother who was working in the city. Upon arrival, Florence wasted no time. She immediately started tarmacking with other fellow Consolata grads. In her first week, 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 her now that she was bringing home a pay-cheque. Finally, the tension eased. After her first year in practice, Florence was eager for change. She sent in an application to Aga Khan Hospital and got a short-term contract that became 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. It goes without saying that Florence is the embodiment of the Kenyan spirit that doesn’t give up!