Five years at home, and right back in the room: Faith Wanjiru's journey

After a five-year career break to raise her twins, an HR professional finds her way back to an office-based role. Illustrative story: a composite example, not a real person.

Watch on YouTube: Pregnancy Ruined My Productivity

Illustrative story: a composite example, not a real person.

Faith Wanjiru spent seven years in human resources. She handled recruitment, onboarding and staff welfare for a growing company in Nairobi. When her twins were born, she and her husband ran the numbers. Childcare for two babies would cost almost all of her salary. So Faith made a choice many women make: she stepped away to raise her children.

She never regretted it. But five years later, with the twins settled in school, she was ready to go back, and the job market did not seem ready for her.

"I had spent years hiring people. Suddenly I was the one being filtered out, before a single person had read my CV."

Her applications disappeared into online portals. When she did get an interview, the questions were about the gap, not her skills: "Are you up to date?" "Will you manage with children?" Faith began to wonder whether five years at home had erased seven years of work.

A friend from her chama mentioned GraceWorks. Faith created a free profile and, for the first time, she listed what she had done during her break. She had been the treasurer of her chama, kept its records and resolved its disputes, and she had organised events for her children's school. A GraceWorks guide on tailoring her CV helped her show those as the people-management skills they were. She used the Growth Room to refresh her knowledge of modern HR systems.

A member of the GraceWorks team reviewed her application, gave her honest feedback, and introduced her to a verified employer hiring a hybrid HR officer, with clear hours and clear pay. Today, Faith is back at a desk in a city office three days a week. She's home in time for school pickup on the other two.

"My career didn't end. It paused, and GraceWorks helped me press play."

Supported by Raji Global