Purity Kimani is a top-experienced barista currently working in Qatar.
Her rise to the top, however, was marred with all sorts of shortcomings which saw her battle alcoholism at some point.
Purity has also engaged in menial jobs such as doing laundry and selling water to supplement her mother’s little income.
Despite these challenges, she managed to get back on track and secure a job with a reputable coffee brand where she is currently serving as Head Barista.
Here is her story as told by WoK.
Purity was born in Kangema, Murang’a County where she spent a better part of her childhood.
She enjoyed her childhood life and participated in activities in the village such as picking coffee berries and selling them at the factory.
However, life took a negative turn after her parents separated forcing her mother to relocate to Nairobi.
“Life in Nairobi wasn’t easy. We lived in a tiny room and shared one bed in Kayole slums with my mum, younger sister, and brother. Life was a living nightmare,” she recalled.
In a past interview, Purity talked about how her mother would sacrifice to provide food for them and take care of other expenses.
For her to join college, her mother had to call for a fundraising event.
“I saw a community come together to contribution my fees through college. We literally had a fundraising event to take me to college,” she explained.
This didn’t sit well with Purity who started doing casual jobs within Kayole slums to supplement her mother’s income.
She did jobs such as fetching water, doing laundry, washing houses for neighbours and doing assignments for other students.
Purity managed to complete her university studies but lack of employment saw her join a drinking group in the slums.
She explained that her behavior frustrated her mother, forcing her to travel to Dubai in search for a job.
“I found myself In a new country, one that didn’t recognise any certificates that I had. I went through a crazy job search. I was homeless in a foreign land but couldn’t go back home, I had to find a job,” she said.
Purity applied for job and in May 2014, she was hired as a cashier at a food court at Hamad Airport in Doha, Qatar.
At the airport, she came across pictures on the wall about Kenyan coffee farms, processing methods and selection process at factories.
Having grown around coffee farms in Murang’a, Purity wanted to shift her career from being a cashier to a coffee barista.
Fortunately for her, her request was accepted by her boss.
Purity learnt the basics and secured a job at Starbucks Coffee in Dubai where she worked for two years.
She then moved to Arabica, a top coffee brand, where she rose through the ranks to become a Head Barista.
“During corona period, I had to go freelance and pioneered about three coffee shops up and running. I finally I got a permanent job with Hilton Doha where am working now,” she noted.
