Monica Muteti’s dream of becoming a renowned chef was unaffected by her disability; she was born with hearing and listening impairments.
She overcame all adversity to become one of the top chefs at Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel.
Monica’s parents, Ann and Pascal Muteti, who discovered her problem at a young age, were upset that their eldest child would grow up with a disability.
“We noticed two to three years there were delays. At the time, she could only utter a few words, so most people attributed this to the fact that she is the firstborn child and there weren’t any other children at the homestead
“In my case, I was surprised and did not know how to handle the situation. I wondered how to go about it as she is the firstborn child. We had heard stories of deaf people but it was never in our family history,” her parents said.
Monica had to deal with harsh criticism and insulting words from others throughout her academic career.
She began her formal education at Machakos School for the Deaf before attending Mumias High School to complete her KCSE certificate.
Monica subsequently studied Catering and Accommodation at Karen Technical Training Institute for the Deaf in Nairobi County, which contradicted her parents’ wishes for her to continue tailoring.
Monica, who was struggling to find work after school, decided to start her own bakery, but the endeavor did not go as planned.
“Since it was hard to get a job after school, I started my own bakery shop which did not do well but through support from my family, I got a training at Cheshire Disability Services Kenya which improved my skills,” she stated.
Monica’s efforts got her an internship at Radisson Blu in Nairobi County.
Her commitment were not overlooked at Radisson Blu, where her boss at the time, Chef Isaiah Oduor, saw the passion in her work.
Monica’s efforts would eventually pay off, as Chef Oduor recommended her for the position at Villa Rosa Kempinski.
“The good thing I noticed is her punctuality. She would be the first one to arrive and would not leave unless I tell her,” Pascal stated.
