When Judy Muthoni Gichigi was younger, in the heart of Nyandarua County, she watched her mother tackle her day job as a nurse while still curving out time to be a hands-on mother. She shared tales with Judy of what working in a hospital was like, the patients she met and even the burden of the job – dealing with blood. Judy was both fascinated and afraid, but watching her mother take on a heroic role, both at work and in the house, Judy knew she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. That’s the summary of how Judy got to where she is.
In her life’s expedition, there is hard work, sacrifice and bravery. Judy passed her KCSE exams at St. Cecilia Girls Secondary School in Nyahururu, achieving a B- overall and automatically qualified to pursue nursing.
St. Luke’s Nursing School in Kinangop seemed like the ideal choice. For starters, it was close to home – so the environment was still familiar. Judy aced both oral and written interviews, giving her another push into the nursing profession. She looked forward to giving care to people that would otherwise not be able to care for themselves.
The diploma program at St. Luke’s was no walk in the park. For three and a half years, Judy managed her time with laser-sharp focus, and while some of her colleagues dropped out from the pressure, she remained adamant in pursuing her destiny.
First major achievement secured, it was time for the real thing. Judy was assigned to Mater Hospital in Nairobi where she presently specialises in a higher diploma. The practical training, at first, gave her the satisfaction she had been yearning for since she was younger; but with time, it was still not enough.
Judy discovered a new craving – being artistic outside the hospital. She took up beadwork and décor because of their manual approaches, but the desire to do something bigger nagged on. She thought about pictures and how they capture the everyday memories we make. She imagined herself behind a lens, being one of the people that brought out the beauty in people and things through photographs. In 2016, she decided to take up photography. The plan was set in stone, and although friends encouraged her to use her phone camera, Judy wanted it to be a wholehearted pursuit. She was going to do it the right way. Judy saved up for a camera, and in August 2017, she bought a Nikon D3300.
YouTube channels with tutorials were readily available to help her manoeuvre through her beginner phase. When she grasped the art, she gave herself another task – capturing images at sunrise. Why? Something about the mornings spoke of new beginnings, and – it gave her the challenge of waking up early on the weekends.
Today, Judy is a busy nurse by weekday and an active photographer by weekend. Hers is a tale of determination and dynamism: enjoying the work environment while making time for a new venture. Some of Judy’s photographs have been displayed at exhibitions around Nairobi. You can see some of her work on her Instagram page.
