It is an uncommon sight for many to see a physically disabled person serving as a chef at a 5-star hotel.
Well, Chef Monica Muteti has broken the so-called norm by becoming a top chef at the High-end Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel in Westlands, Nairobi County.
The parents, Pascal and Anne Muteti, became worried about their firstborn daughter growing up with a disability as she was born deaf and dumb.
"In my case, I was surprised and did not know how to handle the situation. I wondered how to go about it as she is the firstborn child. We had heard stories of deaf people but it was never in our family history," the father stated.
"We noticed two to three years there were delays. At the time, she could only utter a few words, so most people attributed this to the fact that she is the firstborn child and there weren't any other children at the homestead," her mother stated.
She was enrolled at Machakos School for the Deaf before starting her O levels at Mumias High school for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.
The parents wished her to start a tailoring course, but she opted for catering and hospitality at the Karen Technical Training Institute for the Deafciting it would bring money.
After graduating from college, looking for a job became a challenge to which she sought to start her own business.
"Since it was hard to get a job after school, I started my own bakery shop which did not do well but through support from my family, I got a training at Cheshire Disability Services Kenya which improved my skills," Monica narrated.
The additional skills earned her an internship spot at Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi Branch.
Her culinary skills and exceptional work at the hotel, such as coming early, pleased her supervisor, Chef Isaiah Oduor.
When Kempinski had a vacancy and was recruiting, the supervisor highly recommended her for the job, and she got placed.
"The good thing I noticed is her punctuality. She would be the first one to arrive and would not leave unless I tell her."
Her journey then began as a pastry chef doing marvelous works in meeting the class and elegance of the hotel.
