I’m 22, this is how I got working with the British army

When Phanice's alarm goes off at half past 5 am, she knows it's time to get out of bed and go jogging for half an hour before going to the gym for her morning workout. Her current job at Ravenswood Technology Kenya Limited, which works with the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) in Nanyuki, demands strict time management.

Working in the military has kept her on her toes, which means doing everything on time.

“I never imagined myself working with soldiers. But I find it a fascinating job,” she says.

Phanice’s career journey began in Bungoma County, where she was born. The youngest of eight children, five boys, and three girls, Phanice played hockey in high school after watching her two brothers play. 

Joining sports was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, it took her a lot of guts to persuade management that she was physically capable of playing and would be the team's best defender. 

“The first time my coach saw me he was like, Phanice you are very small, how will you even manage to play hockey? And in fact which position do you want to play? I am like I want to be a defender like my brother,” she says.

When she finally got the chance, she made the most of it as a defender while also serving as the hockey team captain. 

“I got a sports scholarship at USIU (United States International University (USIU) Africa), after form four because of this,” Phanice who studied a bachelor of science in Information Technology, says.   

At USIU, Phanice participated in almost every university activity she could during her four-year course.  She was a member of the students' team that represented the country in Nigeria in 2017 because USIU-Africa plays in the Kenya Premier League.

“We were ranked the top university in Eastern Africa and that was a very good achievement,” she says with excitement.

Her love for hockey soon opened more doors. 

“I had just graduated when I saw an advertisement for field engineers. I decided to try my luck,” Phanice says of the vacancies from Ravenswood Technology Kenya Limited, an information technology company operating within BATUK.

“I was surprised to get an email asking me to attend an interview a few weeks later,” she says. 

“I didn’t have prior military work experience. I was also terrified that I will be asked to bribe to get the job. Corruption makes it difficult for many people to find good, well-paying jobs,” Phanice says. 

After, the interview she noted that all that was asked of her was about her accomplishments. She excelled and was offered the job. 

 “I was very lucky. I actually graduated in September, applied for the job in December and in February I started working,” Phanice who credits her love for sports as her key to success, says. “So far I have gone on a one-week training in Bern Switzerland, which was a great opportunity to learn,” she says.  

The 22-year-old now uses her technological skills to train soldiers during their practical training. For example, she shows them how deep an enemy's injuries can be and how long it can take before first aid is given after the injury, which can either lead to bleeding out and being badly wounded, or to being well and returning to the war. This, she says, is done when soldiers are not doing live bullet shoot training because it is not something they do all the time. This is where training technology comes into play.

“We teach soldiers how to incorporate our system and our technology into what they already have,” she explains.

When she is not with the soldiers at Nyati Barracks, she is with them at the Lolldaiga training area in Laikipia county and Archers Post in Samburu county. She says that her interactions with the soldiers have confirmed her childhood fascination with the law, which she attributes to her brother, a lawyer. Because soldiers are all about making sure that residents follow the law in the country, she says that her next move would be to join the Directorate of Criminal Investigations or the army.

“I would love to do either of the two jobs when I get out of here because I’ve watched what these guys are doing and I just love it. I like watching documentaries about law, I think that’s what even made me blend in here so fast,” she says of her future plans.

As she looks forward to marking her first year of working with soldiers, Phanice says that she has proven that certain jobs are not reserved for the wealthy only. 

“I like people who say yes you can make a difference in society despite who you are,” the woman whose mother was a high school secretary, and her father a retired principal, says. 

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