Two ladies in Nakuru have gone beyond the norm to become some of the most sought after mechanics in town.
Eunice Wambui and Constance Nelima have been working as mechanics for close to two years are based Wasi , an open air garage near Bontana Hotel.
They work amongst other men who acknowledge that the ladies have posed a challenge because they put a lot of effort in their work. Constance who is commonly known as Nelly by most of her colleagues says that this becoming a mechanic was her childhood dream. She was fascinated by observing how vehicles were driven and developed an interest.
“I have always been fascinated by understanding how cars move and as a result, I looked for ways to learn about repairing vehicle,” Nelly says.
Through apprenticeship, she has learnt skills that any person at any learning institution would obtain. At the moment she is the mentor of Eunice (Shiro) who is a mechanics student on attachment.
The two acknowledge that being mechanics has not been a walk in the park. There are some customers who would rather have their vehicles repaired by the men but not women. They also say that the becoming a mechanic has come with challenges from their families who initially were opposed to their aspirations.