How I Got A Job As A Bank Manager With Only A KCSE Certificate.

For the 39yrs old Banking Executive, Motivational speaker, writer and Life coach, his has been a journey of resilience and not giving up.

Churchill Winstones Ochieng has undergone the most turbulent and disheartening experiences for any young person, yet he came out on top and is now one of Kenya’s top bankers.

But hardship did not deter his quest for success. His will and determination to overcome challenges saw him survive the roughshod and rise to the top. Now he is the beacon of hope to many young men and women in despair.

In an interview with Peter Muiruri of the Standard, Churchill shares his story.

I was born and brought up in the harsh Kaloleni estate in Nairobi. It was a full, tiny house and I could not live comfortably from the parents’ meager income. Toiling and hardship were the order of the day. Life in Kaloleni was and is still not for the faint-hearted.

Being a family of eleven, we had to contend with sleeping on mats since they lived in a single-roomed house.  The tiny, little single dark room, overlooked the sprawling Majengo slums which is notoriously known for drugs and prostitution. In Kaloleni, you were written off even before you knew how to speak.

By the time I was in Class One in Kaloleni Primary, I began to accompany my mother to the nearby Burma market where she operated a small kiosk to supplement the family income.

My parents decided to transfer me to a school in Kisumu since they felt that children who grew up in the city ended up being crooks.  I arrived at Sawagongo High School ready to read and learn but upon arrival, misfortune struck immediately. I was rudely bullied and harassed and every little item I had brought along with me was stolen, snatched and grabbed.

Undeterred, I pushed on and even started displaying leadership qualities and was subsequently appointed deputy head boy in Form Three and head boy in Form Four.

In 1996, Churchill joined the University of Nairobi for a degree course in Electrical and electronic Engineering before another setback emerged. “My parents informed me that there was no money for my fees. They were paying my older sister’s fees at Egerton University and could not raise both fees.

I applied for the same course at Kenya Polytechnic but another painful hurdle awaited me; lack of fees was again an impediment.

Ever-resilient, I tried my hand in all manner of businesses. I tried my hands on odd jobs like operating a vegetable kiosk, a car wash, shoe shining and playing football for Gor Mahia FC.

And at the beginning of 1997, I sent countless job applications to various institutions, especially in the banking sector. I took a postal directory and looked up all the bank addresses, writing application letters to all of them. Don’t forget that in those days, an application letter had to be in one’s own handwriting.

Rejections came in volumes. I still have the box full of these regret letters. I felt so discouraged that I became a permanent fixture of Nairobi’s ‘‘frustration corner”–the Hilton Hotel Square.

Undeterred, I decided to write a personal letter to Dr. Gareth George, the then managing director of Barclays Bank of Kenya and his response made me shed tears.

In the letter, I recounted my life’s experiences and urged the top banker not to discard the letter without reading it to the end.

To my surprise, Dr George wrote back with the now familiar line: “We are restructuring but in case something comes up, we shall inform you.

This response, made me cry.  The fact that a top bank executive had taken the time to write me in official, beige, embossed paper was too much for me to bear regardless of the message therein.

I wrote back, this time thanking Dr George for replying my letter. I also told him that I was ready to take up any kind of job available — be it as a cleaner or a messenger.

“I think Dr George was a bit exasperated by my persistence to the point where he said he would like to see me in his office the following Monday at 8am. I was at Barclays Plaza by 7am.

I went to his office where I was offered a job as a cleaner for a month. My gallivanting with the banking sector had just begun.

A month later, I was promoted to a senior cleaner, a supervisory role, for another three months’ contract. The bank was happy with my work and made me a messenger for another six months.

Just before the expiry of my contract, one office assistant failed to report to work after a weekend of heavy drinking. The bank needed someone who could do his job immediately.

To everyone’s surprise, I offered to do the job since I had seen how the other fellow used to handle it. I got it right and was given the job as the other worker was summarily dismissed.

I proved my worth by turning around the profits of the bank in the newly introduced direct sales department. And at one point, I got four promotions in a year — and for a person without college degree

I left Barclays as a regional manager for Nyanza and Western Kenya and joined CFC Stanbic Bank where I rose to become head of direct sales in Africa. I also founded the A+ Group in 2008 in order to give back to youth who felt discouraged, demotivated and defeated in life.

Needless to say, I am now a holder of a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and currently pursuing an MBA in Strategic Management.

Also, I have written and launched a Book “From Hawker to Banker”; a book that intricately details the tribulations of the banker who rose from a mere cleaner to the level that I am today.

Churchill Winstones Ochieng is the Head Of Retail Banking at Faulu Kenya.

As we speak today, I am the Head of Retail at Faulu Bank….A journey that started with NOT a single college certificate or degree.

I have also won various awards the latest one being the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Award I won at Xtreem Awards, last Year.

As a motivational speaker, I have toured over 200 schools countrywide giving hope to youths who are in desperate situations more so within the family circle.

I have given talks to over 30 organizations on various topics including Thinking inside the box, Results are rewarded; efforts are not. His message is simple: “It is possible to make it if you believe you can despite the hurdles thrown your way.

We are ALL NOT the same. Life happens differently to different people.
Some will need degrees to be employed, others won’t.

Some will need connections to find jobs, others won’t.

Some will need papers to find employment, others won’t.
Decide WHO YOU ARE TODAY. And fulfill it.