Twenty years working anniversary: 16th September 2004 – 16th September 2024
I have been saying this a lot recently and I repeat; where did the time go? When they say the time flies by, it does really do fly by!
When I was a little child, I used to consider people in their 40s very old. Not 50, not 60 but somehow I considered 40 a big number in my little world then. Guess what, now in my 40s I am wondering how I got here!
My love for numbers started when I was a little child and that mixed with the love of stories, I have the capacity to retain birthdays, milestone anniversaries for myself and others in a very easy way, that sometimes my close family or friends find fascinating but I may be taking for granted. Mind, though I find it easier to remember dates and events milestones, I find it hard to retain, recall names and this has created some embarrassing moments and still do from time to time.
I vividly remember the first time I asked my Dad about my birthday, before I had even started primary school weirdly enough I retained the specific date and since then have retained a thousand more for family and friends.
Recently my children turned 12 and 16 respectively and girl, how did this happen!
So what the story today?
September is, has been a month of beginnings and ends for me, I have a lot of milestones especially when it comes to my Professional and Academic journeys.
Tomorrow, on16th September marks 20 years since I entered in the place of work after Graduating from University.
Tuesday 17th marks 17 years of my first full-time Job in the United Kingdom; UK.
28th September will mark 19 years since I have been in the UK, my now second home.
Wednesday 28th July 2004 was my last day at the University when I presented my Project, Dissertation in front of the panel and that marked the end of my 5 years studies that I had started on 25th January 1999!
I was one of the lucky one who got a job soon after, in less than 2 months, I had joined the working force as they call it. Though over the years of my studies I had had a chance to get a glimpse of the working places over the years through my various industrial placements across the 4 years out of 5 of my University studies.
Myself and my classmates; Didier Sagashya, Olivier Kabera, Kagabo Jean Pierre and Claudien Bizimungu started around the same time with Isaac Mutabazi and Dick Rwamuhinda joining soon after! This is 20 years when we started in Kigali City Council with one of our biggest achievement, starting the operations of the Inspection department and its structure!
We were young, enthusiastic Graduates and ready to join the world of working Professionals and we gave it our all. Today, my colleagues then are around the world contributing to the countries, communities they are part of. Happy anniversary to us!
We went through a tough process of selection, a mixture of technical exams, presentations and interviews prior to being offered the job back then in that September of 2004.
A year later, I got the opportunity to come and do my Masters in the UK, Scotland and now it has been my home 19 years this month, a base for my family and where both my children were born.
In between, I go back and reflect onto May 2007 part of Projects team in West Lothian Council, Highways department that was then based in Linlithgow through Amey in September 2007 working mainly on Scottish Trunk Roads based in Edinburgh office , to August 2013 in Scotland Transerv to May 2016 on South West Unit, Scottish Trunk Roads based then in Glasgow, through Technical Academy Scotland in 2017 and then since June 2018, Sustrans the organisation I am presently with.
As I reflect back, I see a 1000s first , last and journeys in between, moments of successes, failures, challenges and opportunities but most importantly from my perspective, reflecting I have been inspired and I have inspired others; it is and has been a journey of learning, acquired skills, trust, desperation, confidence, lost opportunities, beginnings and ends, resilience, fear, giving back, heartwarming moments, courage , leadership and hope and so much more in between.
From the University Graduate in my twenties to a confident Professional in my forties, a Leader, a parent and much more roles I play, hats I wear within or outside my Professional space, my communities, I do feel grateful for opportunities life have presented & still present me with.
I would not be here without the people who believed in me & those I placed my trust in; from my parents and siblings whose shared journeys have shaped the way I see the world, my extended families including my Grandparents whose journeys have shaped mine, my culture, cultures, communities past and present, neighbours, teachers, organisations I belonged to, education establishments, my own family, my children, work colleagues, my team, organisations I worked for and current one, friends, Acquaintances, both my countries Rwanda and UK/Scotland, all spaces I have occupied and still occupy physically and virtually.
It is easy to take credit for my whole journey and forget that, we are interdependent species therefore I am product of a combination of visible and invisible, easily forgettable and memorable moments that came together to create this moment right here, a moment of reflection on the past leading to who I am today.
I am deeply grateful for the life I have and that I lead, led, for the people I met and who are and have been part of my life, for you’ve touched my life whether in simple and or significant ways, thank you. In each one of people I meet, I see a piece of me in them and/or get curious about other parts of them I do not relate to.
I am looking forward to the future full of opportunities.
Marie-Claire Sunday 15th September 2024
