Her story is that of resilience and determination even in times of difficulties. Working as a PR officer for months without a contract, being overworked and ultimately being rendered redundant, Damaris Nyabuti says that all these put together made her who she is.
As a public relations consultant and founder of Dharkemmy Corporate Communications, Damaris may is living her dream of being free from the shackles of employment. A graduate journalist from the University of Nairobi and Catholic University in Milan, Italy, where she studied Global Business Sustainability, Damaris had one foot in media through which doing PR has become a little easy.
But the journey has not been any easier. “My first job was at Cotton Development Authority after internship as a PR officer for about three and half years,” she says. “All this time I had no contract. I kept telling myself that if I worked hard enough they would give me a permanent job. My mum particularly, was very displeased with this idea, I worked like a slave, even when I was sick.
At one time she joined Amani Kenya, an umbrella organisation that spearheaded peaceful campaigns during the 2013 general elections as a Communications and Corporate affairs manager. “I was happy to be doing something significant for my country,” says the soft-spoken Damaris.
Her stint at Amani Kenya did not last long because the elections were generally peaceful and the secretariat was dissolved. “Later, I joined Benchmark Solutions as Head of Communications/PR. Work life took a totally deferent turn. My boss, the then CEO was very kind and down to earth. At first I thought she was faking it. I had zero trust with female bosses but she instilled leadership and entrepreneurship qualities in me for the one year I was there.”
That’s when she started Dharkemmy Corporate Communications and finally became her own boss. Dharkemmy Corporate Communications targets business start-ups, medium sized companies, key personalities and new market entrants.
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So, what inspires her? “The fear of being lesser tomorrow of what I am today inspires me. I am in a constant competition with myself plus the support from my family keeps me my toes each day,” she says. Damaris does not believe in the notion that women can at times find it challenging to run PR firms.
The worth of her firm today is a true assertion that gender has nothing to do with the work. “There is no gender in this field; both men and women are equally capable. We are still at growth stage but by the end of the year, we shall be worth a couple of millions,” Damaris says jokingly.
At the start, Damaris says she struggled to manage her finances and lost a lot of money through defaulting clients. Nonetheless, she never thought of seeking employment again.
“I effortlessly stand out in the world of PR which flows through my veins and couldn’t be happier. There are a lot of opportunities in the communication industry and I want to tap into that. I opted out of formal employment as I felt I was not optimizing my potential. As well, I got tired of the many uncertainties surrounding government and private jobs. The cycle of CV polishing and betrayal by employers was too much to take. I always felt I wanted to make a difference and be a better boss than some of the ones I had met,” she says.
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In love with cartoons and comedy, Damaris stays inspired and rejuvenated one day at a time. She challenges the like-minded to seek education and at the same time create jobs. “Education is key to the extent that it helped me communicate, since PR is relationship-based and one learns most while engaging with clients. There is no one-size-fits-all for clients as each one comes with different needs,” she concludes.
PR industry in Kenya often struggles to focus more on hot topics and innovation for sustainability with the greatest challenge for being identifying the real fundamental game-changers that would challenge the profession, steadily taking shape by the day.
