Jayne Mathenge, a counselling psychologist, is the most satisfied when she sees children progress both academically and non-academically as rounded people and responsible future citizens.

The mother of four children and a grandmother of eight grandchildren, has a passion for education and formative years which she says are crucial to a child’s development. It is this passion that led her to establish Brickwoods Schools in 2002, a mixed day and boarding primary school located in Nanyuki.

“There is nothing more pleasurable to me than seeing children move from one level of their education to another, as this has been my own driving force, moving from one altitude to another,” says Mrs. Mathenge.

She describes children as individuals who have a compassionate heart and leaders who will in turn make policies that will benefit the older generation and everyone in general – keeping the vision alive.

Brickwoods Schools started as a boy’s high school, set in the scenic western foothills of Mt. Kenya, with world-class facilities offering unlimited opportunities for learners by striking a balance between academic performance and co-curricular programmes.

The school ran for seven years until 2008 when she introduced a primary section, which apparently grew in enrolment much faster than the high school. After two years, it proved untenable to continue with the high school leaving the primary school only.

The primary school has progressively grown, and the institution prides itself for transforming many lives. Over the years, extensive improvements, both in infrastructure and human capital, have been made to ensure that quality in education is not compromised.

“Our clients are the children we nurture, and we offer them holistic education that is geared towards the next generation of leaders and self- sustainability. Our emphasis is on character formation at an early stage and allowing the children to own their education. We tap talent at an early age and build their confidence,” she says.

Before becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Mrs. Mathenge previously worked in the airline industry for close to 18 years. She has also worked as an administrative secretary in the civil service in various departments including Cabinet Affairs which gave her a niche in management and human resource management.

On gender-based challenges, she says she has not faced serious challenges as her husband has been her support all through the years and allows her the freedom to make decisions freely. “We have worked as a team with no biases. However, a few people have questioned me on this ‘freedom’ trying to imply I should not be seen as the face of Brickwoods Schools,” she notes.

Some staff members may have had the notion that they cannot be led by a woman due to their cultural background, but Mrs. Mathenge says she mitigates this by being sensitive and understanding to various personalities due to her counselling and psychology background. “So, I am able to overcome these challenges.”

On the impact women led businesses have on their communities, she says women tend to think of life in a 360 degree way. “We encourage young women and girls to know that they are capable and can soar like eagles in a male-dominated world and still put a feminine touch which helps in community development,” says Mrs. Mathenge. She points out that women have an eye for detail and her husband/co-partner trusts her on this one.

“Women look into the far future focusing on their children and grandchildren and what their future will be like. Women feel a sense of indebtedness to the future generations and impression or role for the current generation,” she says.

With her background, she has been able to give an opportunity and space to her employees some of whom attest to having had the first encounter with work ethics, decorum, workplace tradition and a desire to have a culture of excellence from her, and which has helped them stay focused and disciplined.

Her advice to other women pursuing businesses/entrepreneurship is to put God first and lean not on their own understanding. She also urges them to remain consistent and persistent on their purpose, believe in themselves, think big, and have positive affirmation self-talks, and never to give up.

Mrs. Mathenge says what is needed to ensure that a business thrives and achieves its full potential is building on character, integrity, and discipline. “As a woman, you need to discover your individual talent – it may be that you are gifted as a leader, mentor or mediator, etc. One needs to become the agent of growth and excellence. Try to see opportunity in any challenges faced, and work within your short-term goals and long-term goals,” she advises.

She further challenges all women to exhibit character, embrace values such as integrity, respect, honesty, discipline, morals, and habits for the future generations, since they will bear witness that they (women) contributed to creating a cohesive society. “You cannot have an aimless life and think you will succeed. You must work hard and present what you are made of at a platform,” she concludes.