Lucy Yugileo: No matter where life takes me, I am always drawn back to Kenya
Lucy Yugileo. (Courtesy/LinkedIn)
Who is Lucy Yugileo?
Well, Lucy Yugileo is a registered nurse, holder of Bachelors Degree in general nursing and a master?s degree (M.A) in nursing and healthcare management. I was born in Naivasha and raised in different parts of Kenya. I am a mother of two beautiful children, a sister to two brothers and one sister. I currently live in Frankfurt, Germany, loving life and life loving me back.
I normally enjoy quality time with the people I cherish, accompanied with delicious food in a great atmosphere.
What does it mean to be in the nursing profession, specifically in your case?
My thoughts mostly evolve around entrepreneurship, specifically in healthcare. I am one of the utmost solution oriented persons I know of. My strength lies ?As-IS Analysis?, working on different measures in given situations, aiming results to preliminary ?To-be- Analysis?.
In short, I provide solutions to problems in healthcare, given the right resources. At the moment, I work in Frankfurt University Hospital, pediatrics department.
What motivated you to delve into nursing?
There are two things that drove me into healthcare profession, and in management to be specific. One was the environment around me as I was growing up. There are few people with whom I crossed paths who had qualities that I found to be highly significant as far as health and wellbeing are concerned. This partly contributed to my personality in regard to choosing a career in the health care sector. There communication skills for example, leadership skills and basically how they carried themselves around. Secondly, I took opportunities available and made lemonade out of the lemons I was given.
How and when did you find yourself working abroad?
Some moments in life unfold in ways you don?t fully anticipate. In 2004, I embarked on a journey from Kenya, and since then, I have found myself returning periodically. It is almost as if a part of me is always drawn back, no matter where life takes me. Each visit feels like connecting with a chapter that is still very much a part of my story.
How is the German Workplace Different from that of Kenya?
For colleagues preparing to come, real scenarios at workplace should be discussed for example, gross salary vs. net salary. In Germany, the taxation is relatively high. An unmarried person without children will for example get approximately 55 per cent of gross salary deposited in the account at the end of the month. Etiquette at workplace are of importance to ensure smooth transition. Punctuality, not taking sides while being told stories by colleagues, not joining groups at workplace, not talking ill of colleagues to fellow colleagues, just to name a few. Loneliness, depression and other psychological illnesses tend to catch up with us very fast because of tight schedules of other fellow citizens or people someone can talk to. Precautions have to be considered quick fast minus slow.
Major challenges working abroad?
I can say there are many unique challenges working abroad against those in our home country. However, like any other workplaces, there are regular, work-related challenges that come in different situations and at the workplace each given day. Nonetheless, we use the knowledge gain from school and experience to solve these challenges.
Despite your success working abroad, you still want to come back to Kenya, why?
Yes, I have always had a desire to come back and serve our country and continent in general. Particularly, there is a lot I am looking forward to accomplishing for the next years and they get updated from time to time.
To begin with, I would like to partner with a government or non-governmental institutions in Kenya and other countries in Africa. This collaboration will be in terms of delivering, from the position of administration and management the strategic and operational solutions in the field of nursing and healthcare.
Your parting shot?
I conclude by quoting from Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe ?Decision and perseverance are the noblest qualities of a person?.
Robert H Schuller once wrote, ?Tough times don?t last, but tough people do?
However, it is of great significance not to forget about our own psychological well-being.
