Susan Akinyi Khatchina, a Kenyan woman who works as a house help in Iraq, has proudly unveiled a magnificent mansion she built using her earnings from her job. Susan’s journey to success has been marked by perseverance and determination, overcoming challenges and setbacks along the way. Susan, a mother of two, ventured to Iraq in 2018 after a previous stint in Saudi Arabia did not yield the desired outcome. Undeterred by past experiences, she took up a job as a house help with a lecturer at Baghdad University. Beyond the regular housework, Susan took on additional responsibilities that would prove to be pivotal in her dream of building her own home. Speaking to Kenyan media outlet TUKO.co.ke, Susan revealed that she had earned a substantial amount by assisting her employer with exam papers. Towards the end of each academic term, her employer would entrust Susan with the task of arranging exam papers in six boxes. In return for her meticulous work, she would be rewarded with KSh 142,000 (approximately N784,414.05). This occurred four times a year, giving Susan a steady income stream that she diligently saved to achieve her goal. With her determination to improve her family’s living conditions, Susan decided to take on the ambitious project of building a new home. Utilizing a total sum of KSh 1.42 million (approximately N7,844,140.53), which included everything from furniture to a water tank, she began constructing her dream mansion in 2020. Additionally, she invested KSh 316,000 (approximately N1,746,492.45) to build a shed for a tractor, which she purchased for KSh 142,000, to further supplement her income. In her words; “Building that house has cost me 1.42 million, inclusive of everything, from furniture to a water tank. Then the tractor cost me KSh 316,000 (N1,746,492.45) to build its shed. I bought the tractor at KSh 142,000.I was not only doing housework. My employer was a lecturer at Baghdad University, as I told you. Towards the end of the term, she would come with the exam papers in six boxes and ask me to arrange them for her. After that, she would pay me KSh 142,000. She would do that like four times a year.” Susan’s passion for her family’s well-being and her commitment to paying off the loan led her to achieve her dreams. She added; “When that house had fallen to the ground, I asked my employer to loan me KSh 800,000, and she accepted. So she gave me the money, and I started the building project as I worked to pay the loan. She gave me a waiver of about KSh 270,000 (N1,492,256.21). She has helped me,” the Kakamega lady praised her boss. In her hometown of Kakamega, Kenya, Susan’s accomplishment has become an inspiration for many. She proved that hard work, dedication, and prudent financial management can lead to incredible achievements, even in challenging circumstances.
