Twenty-nine-year-old Tonny works as Chief Security Officer at DWA, a horticultural farm in Kibwezi.
By profession, he is an electrical engineer. To Tonny, joining the farm as a security person was just a gateway to work in the engineering department. With his skill set, he hopes that one day, he will be able to realise his dream of working as an engineer.
His journey towards securing his dream career has, however, not been without hurdles.
“As a person who is Deaf, I have experienced a lot of discrimination. Out here, people do not believe that a Deaf person can be highly skilled and equally capable of being an electrical engineer. People can hardly procure the services of a Deaf electrical engineer,” says Tonny. Occasionally, he would approach potential clients for electrical installation jobs, but they wanted to work with other electricians. A situation he says is very disappointing.
“In 2020 during the onset of COVID-19, I could not find any work opportunities after completing my college education. Thus, I decided that I would try my luck at being a security officer at the horticultural farm. I presented my papers and got hired,” he explains.
At the farm, where he has worked for nearly two years now, Tonny’s work is primarily to ensure the safety of the farm equipment and to safeguard the premises from theft.
“When I was employed, I was the only Deaf person… now there are about five of us,” says Tonny, explaining that having seen how dedicated he is to his work, the company has built the confidence to hire more Deaf people despite the communication barriers."
But his work has not come without challenges. Due to the communication barriers and without a dedicated sign language interpreter at the farm, most of the time Tonny finds himself interacting only with Deaf colleagues. For the rest of his colleagues, Tonny uses a blend of lip reading and informal Kamba language signs to communicate. He says he is unable to interact as much with them as he would like to.
When not working, Tonny likes interacting and mentoring other people with disabilities, particularly young people, who he says must be proactive in building sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families.
“My future is cast on being an electrical engineer as that is my passion and it is what makes me happy. I want to be busy fixing stuff,” says Tonny.
Tonny’s journey highlights the importance of inclusive employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Despite facing discrimination, his determination and dedication have inspired his workplace to hire more Deaf individuals. Tonny’s story emphasizes the ripple effect of inclusion, paving the way for others to overcome barriers and pursue their passions, ultimately creating a more inclusive society, where no one is left behind.
