Fidelis dreams of a coffee shop

Something changes in Fidelis’ face when the topic turns to… coffee.

“I’m passionate about coffee, I love coffees,” says the 24-year-old. “From the time I got to learn all about them, from the processing to the manufacturing, how to produce a cappuccino, a latte, macchiato or an espresso, it has been in my blood. And I think I would like to pursue it.”

It’s hard to imagine this is a young woman who was depressed and hiding from the world a few short years ago.

Fidelis grew up in Njathaini, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. Her community, as she explains it, is characterized by “people who are living to make ends meet, [and] youth who are struggling with all kinds of addiction.”

She watched as her own parents worked tirelessly as casual labourers, striving to provide well for Fidelis and her four siblings. “That really motivated me to work hard and achieve greater heights to improve the situation back at home,” she says.

Fidelis worked diligently to complete her primary and secondary levels of education and then, as she was still celebrating her successful completion of high school, her dad’s health began to fail. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Fidelis’ mom and siblings did everything they could to raise money for surgery, treatment and medication—but a month after undergoing brain surgery and being discharged, the disease took his life. The family floundered. Fidelis’ mom was overcome with grief and financial stress. On top of it all, Fidelis saw the writing on the wall and knew her dream of affording culinary school was now out of reach.

“I lost all the hope I had, and at this point, I chose to isolate myself from everyone,” she says. “This led me to depression.”

Finding a career through Youth Works

It was the Youth Works program, operated by World Vision in Nairobi, that eventually helped to bring Fidelis back into the light. The program equips young people with skills training and connects them to local employment opportunities. Fidelis says, “My hope was restored through the life skills training.”

Through career coaching lessons, she was supported in choosing a course of study and, after three years, graduated with a diploma in Catering and Accommodations Management. She secured an internship which led to the job she now holds at a well-known restaurant in Nairobi. She uses her salary to pay the bills at home.

“I am glad that I am able to ease the burden for my family, even if it’s a small portion,” she says, “because they are my motivation to keep on pressing and working hard no matter the circumstances.”

While she’s thankful for her current job, Fidelis plans to pursue self-employment in the future. She dreams of opening a coffee shop, or “cafeteria,” in Nairobi, where she can focus on her real passion: coffee.

“I love travelling, exploring different coffees, lattes, and doing research on coffee-making so as to keep up with trends,” she says. “My goal is to be self-employed and independent, [and] furthermore to create employment opportunities for young people due to the high unemployment rate here in Nairobi, Kenya.”

These are goals that Youth Works can continue to support through its entrepreneurship training and small business assistance projects. The path in front of Fidelis is wide open, and she is more than equipped to walk it.