Part 5: How I Stumbled Into APHRC and Got My Heart Broken, Rebuilt, and Catapulted Into My Next Big Thing (Becoming The Dotted i)

Honestly, the APHRC gig started off so random. Picture this—I was just vibing, doing my thing, selling my merchandise from China, minding my own hustle. Then I saw the job post and was like, “Hmm… why not?” Sent in my application casually, like casually casually. Zero expectations. One of those “let’s just see” moments.

Fast forward a bit and boom—email received. “You’ve been shortlisted.” Wait, what? Me? For real?

Anyway, I went in for the interview and whew, it was not a walk in the park. First up, there was a written test that had me questioning all my life choices. Then came a panel interview—you know the kind where you're facing a row of super smart people all nodding and scribbling things down while you’re trying to remember the definition of “logframe”? Yeah, that kind. And then to top it all off, an interview with the CD. At that point, I was emotionally dehydrated. But guess what? I GOT THE JOB! 🎉

Cue celebration dance. But here’s the catch—the role was kind of weirdly split. Development Officer and… Admin Support. I remember raising an eyebrow about that during the interview and they were like, “Oh don’t worry, it’s only for six months. We’ll hire someone to take over admin stuff.” And to their credit, they actually did. But let me be real for a second—I didn’t love the admin bits. I mean, answering phones and coordinating meetings was not exactly my dream. But... plot twist... I actually got good at it. Like really good. Polished my admin game to professional sparkle levels. Thank you, APHRC, for the unexpected skill upgrade!

During an internal organisational workshop.

Then came my big-girl fundraising era. I had dabbled before but this was next-level structured. Proposal management, opportunity tracking, donor mapping—yes, I was that girl, making pitch decks at 2am and drinking alarming amounts of tea. I was thriving in my own chaotic, over-caffeinated way.

But then, life happened. I lost a loved one, after being pregnant for 8 months -  I took some time off to focus on personal things, and when I returned (after mat leave), something had shifted. I was ready for a new season. My spirit needed different air. So I made a decision—I had to leave. Not just the job, but that whole chapter. I needed a fresh page, -scrap that, I needed a whole new book.

Cue “Mission: Get a New Job.” I opened Excel and built an entire spreadsheet of opportunities. I was applying like my life depended on it. Cover letters, cold emails, updating my CV every three days—basically became a full-time job hunter. Some days I was hopeful, others I was just staring into the void wondering if I’d ever feel “normal” again.

But God. That’s all I can say. God is good. I got FOUR offers. Yes, four! I went from job hunting and uncertain to thriving in my inbox. One of the offers was even international. Can you believe that? Me, about to catch a flight and start over in a whole new country—Sudan, to be specific.

And then, just two weeks before my reporting date, BAM! The organization was kicked out of Sudan. Just like that. Apparently, I would have already been there if things moved faster. But fate had other plans. I accepted another offer from a Kenyan organization—one that felt like a gentle landing. That’s how I ended up at FHF. A little bruised, but wiser, stronger, and more alive than I’d felt in a long time.

💡 Lessons Learned (a.k.a. The Plot Twists That Taught Me Things)

• Apply anyway. Even if it’s random. You never know who’s watching—or who’s going to call.

  
  

• Admin roles might look boring (no offence to people in this role, in any case I also always say proposal writing is boring), but they’ll teach you things you didn’t even know you needed. Like how to juggle ten things at once, look calm doing it, and still draft a killer memo and more importantly perfect your MsWord, Ms Powerpoint etc skills.

  
  

• Fundraising is an art. Proposal management is a science. Donor mapping is the chess of development. And if you master all three, you’re a force.

  
  

• Your workplace can be your safety net. The way APHRC handled my transitions and life issues restored my faith in workplace humanity. We need more employers like that.

  
  

• Excel is therapy. Especially when you're job hunting. Tracking your dreams gives you power when everything else feels like chaos.

  
  

• Trust God's timing—even when it feels like divine comedy. Sudan fell through. FHF came through. It all made sense later.

  
  

• You will survive the stuff you think will destroy you. It won’t be pretty, and you’ll cry a lot. But one day you’ll wake up and apply for something new. And then smile again.