Thirteen years ago, Lily Richards could give anything to leave Kenya for the US to start a new life.
She toyed around with the thought of a better life in the US and this pushed her to apply for a Green Card. And then, one day, her prayers were answered as her application was successful.
Lily finally had the chance to chase the American dream and she has done well not just for herself but other Kenyan women who relocated to the US. Lily is the president of Kenyan Women in The US (KWITU).
She doubles up as a businesswoman in the US and back home in Kenya but it has been a long 13-year journey to accomplish what she has so far.
Speaking recently to Alex Chamwada on his Daring Abroad series, Lily painted a picture of resilience and determination which have propelled her to success.
Nevertheless, her new life in the US was not close to what she has today and she confesses nearly giving up in the beginning.
She says that having a green card is never a path to success adding “the person who will host you plays a very big role in your life here (US).”
It was in 2007 when Lily relocated to the US and hoped that she would land a good job since she had a Diploma in Hotel management but it did not count for anything.
“When I came here, they didn’t take any credits from Kenya and even had me go back to do basic maths algebra,” she recalls.
One thing she learnt about the American dream is that you work your way up and craft your plan to follow to stay on track else you lose focus.
Her first job was as a cashier at the Maicy’s. Her second job was in direct care was in them and she did it for one day and felt she couldn’t take it anymore. She quit without notice but her host was kind enough to guide her.
She would work and go back to school where she pursued an undergraduate in Finance and landed a full-time job in one of the local banks.
The indomitable Kenyan spirit in her pushed her into juggling a side job, her full-time job and school which wore her out but she is glad she did it all for a good reason.
She quit her baking job in 2014 and ventured into business running a consulting firm in the US and opened an errands business – Premium Errands – in Kenya. She also runs Lavish by Lily in the US and Kenya dealing in cosmetics.
Into her work with KWITU, Lily is proud that it “connects, supports and empowers” Kenyan women living in the US. Kwitu has 30 chapters in the US and a membership of 14,000 women.
KWITU’s leadership is decentralized to State levels headed by two State Trips. KWITU is vocal about investing back home, something Lily pick as important for any Kenyan living in the US.
“Many of our deportees are struggling…you are back home people are looking at you like dude, you were just in America. You lived in America for 20 years how is it that you are walking like us you don’t even have a car…” she implores.
Her advice to Kenyans relocating to the US on a Green Card is to be ready to start from the bottom or “fall through the cracks” because the transition is tough.
