We all start from somewhere, and there is no need to be ashamed of your hustle because money does not mention its source.
Some of the celebrities in the country who also boast as successful entrepreneurs are epitomes of rags to riches, with some having experiences of tough odd jobs they did as a source of income.
This article focuses on celebrities who worked as House helps before fame.
Gloria Muliro
Renowned gospel artist Gloria Muliro knows how it feels growing up with less. Her parents couldn’t afford all her high school fees, a situation that denied her access to her form four certificate.
As such, Muliro had to become a house girl at Nairobi’s Eastlands, earning Sh1,300 monthly, to raise money to clear the outstanding school fees.
She later enrolled in a teaching course at the International Teachers Training College in Dagoreti, where she did very well and got a distinction.
Muliro has since climbed the ranks to become one of the most celebrated gospel artists in Kenya, with some of her songs, including Ndio Yako, Narudisha, and Sitolia featuring Willy Paul and Matokeo, resonating with her fans.
Throughout her music career, Muliro has won multiple awards, including the 2012,2013 and 2014 Best Female Artist, Mwafaka Awards, the 2013 Best Female Artist, Groove Awards, and the 2018 Best Gospel Category, AFRIMMA Awards.
Nyota Ndogo
Mwanaisha Abdalla alias Nyota Ndogo is a Kenyan musician who performs Taarab-influenced pop music.
Due to financial constraints, she had to drop out of school in class seven and started working as a housegirl to make ends meet.
She worked from age 15 to 17, during which she composed numerous songs. A fellow house help who heard her sing connected her to a music producer who was impressed by her talent and recorded her first album.
Fatuma Zarika
Zarika is arguably the best female boxer in the country and one of the best in the continent.
She has won several accolades and has taken part in several international bouts, thus giving her an international outlook. Zarika revealed her first job was a maid job at Nairobi’s South C estate.
“My first job was as a housemaid, one that I did diligently did for a year before getting another year-long gig as an aid to the elderly,” she said in a past tweet.
Willy Paul
Before becoming Pozze, Willy Paul struggled to make ends meet working as a house boy. The Njiwa hitmaker narrated how he and his mother struggled to survive after the sudden death of his father.
A good Samaritan who offered to help him in life turned him into a house boy. He used to wash utensils and dishes to earn a living.
“From nothing to something, from being a house boy to being an international star… God is good and real!! I suffered a lot in the hands of a man!! Let God be God,” Pozze stated on his Instagram page.
Pozze started as a gospel artist before diverting to the world of secular music. He was named male artist of the year at the 2013 Groove Awards alongside his mentor Gloria Muliro.
Some of his well-known singles are “I Do” featuring Alaine from Jamaica, ” Njiwa” featuring Nandy from Tanzania, “Mmmh” featuring Rayvanny from Tanzania, “Sikireti” featuring Cecil from Jamaica, and “Nobody” featuring Yemi Alade from Nigeria, among others.
Nyce Wanjeri
The actress and comedian is widely known for her ‘Shiru’ role in the Kenyan series ‘Aunty Boss.’ In the movie, she played the role of a house girl and executed it perfectly.
What many don’t know is that she had previously worked as a house girl to make ends meet. According to her, she at one point worked as a house girl for her cousin and, in return, got money to pay for her computer course.
Her cousin and her husband encouraged her to pursue a career in acting due to her funny bone, and she went to the Kenya National Theatre and eventually succeeded.
Bottomline
You don’t have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth to achieve great things in life — though it certainly helps.
Still, many of today’s billionaires have tales of tough childhood life, and the fear of going back to poverty has shaped them to become the success they are.
