From security guard to saving lives in the operating room - Jane's inspiring story [Video]

Jane Njeri Kagwiria is a 27-year-old single mother who worked as a security guard and doubles up as a theatre assistant. 

Her story is one of determination, courage and strength, having ran away from home to escape female genital mutilation at age 11. 

Jane has now been listed among the world’s Heroines of Health by Beyond Applause Health Heroines of 2021. 

Jane’s story.

After fleeing from home, Jane was rescued by a priest who hired her as a househelp and also offered to pay for her education. 

She would then drop out of secondary school after her well-wisher’s resources ran out.

After being out of school for a while, Jane returned and struck a deal with her principal who allowed her to complete her high school education because she was a performer. 

The mother of one would then get an opportunity to join a security firm and was posted to Consolata Hospital Mathari in Nyeri. 

There, she fell in love with helping patients and families who came to visit their kin. She also began giving health advice and educating communities on health matters that saw her take a course in Basic Life Support. 

In 2017, Jane was also selected to pursue a course in pre-operative theatre technology at a medical college associated with the same hospital where she worked as a guard.

Jane became the only one in her family to go past primary school and assumed responsibilities over her siblings and their children. She had to find the best way to spend her Sh10,000 pay as a security guard and also pay for her medical course. 

She was able to pay most of her college fees from donations from well-wishers and friends.

She says that despite having a dream of being a doctor, working as a surgeon’s assistant bring her closer to her dream of helping patients. 

Jane was able to graduate in 2021 and currently works at Rongai Sub County Hospital in Nakuru, as a theatre assistant.

“I look at how excited my son is whenever I am wearing my white coat which has also inspired his ambition of becoming a doctor one day because he thinks that I am a doctor,” said Kubai during an interview with KTN.