Biography: Vincent

Vincent Jim Otieno the current IT Trainer of Ndhiwa community empowerment and development project (NCEDP)

I was born in 1983in Kenya, Nyanza province in Migori District. Am now 25years of age and 5.8 inches in height.

I am the third born in our family and the only boy among six sisters of which three have died. My father is a polygamous man married to three Wives. The second step mother after my mother has two sons and two daughters while the third wife has three daughters and one son. All these making our family to a total number of sixteen people at the moment and some are still expected as per the tradition and believe that children are blessing from God and Security to them (My parents)

Educationally, I started my primary studies in Sony Sugar Primary school in 1991 and sat for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 1998 passed with a mean of 9out of 12. By then, my Dad had not married the other two women and the family had no problem. I was given much attention since I was the only boy as most Africans believe that boys are siro (the Kingpost) in the family as compared to girls.

I joined Pe-hill High School for secondary course in 1999. By this time, there was confusion, jealousy, hatred and even conflicts in our family because the family had expanded with the other two mothers. This required much money due to the economy but my Dad could only provide little. So I started facing the fee problem and these led to missing of classes as I was being sent Back home. I later sat for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2002 and passed.

After secondary completion, I could go no where because My Dad had neglected us as he had little to provide. In 2004 one of my uncles sponsored me for Computer application course for four months in Kisumu.

For the sake of my Mum and sisters, I traveled to Mombasa a city in Kenya to seek for a job. There,I stayed with a friend who had accepted to accommodate me in his house as I search for employment. I could cover a distance of fifty kilometers a day walking without lunch every day.

As luck would have it, one day I got a job with the Kenya Suitcases manufacturers (KSM) well known for the production of shoe soles. I was trained for two months as a machine operator and with the determination and my hard work, I was approved and employed. Working with them was good even though required much energy since it was manual. I saved some little money from my salary. My ambition of doing IT as my profession flushed into my mind again when I realized that my savings could start me off. So I went back to Kisumu Polytechnic as a friend of mine agreed to accommodate me as I take the Course and after a year of attendance I was through.

Currently am working with the Ndhiwa Community Empowerment & Development Project (NCEDP) as an IT Trainer which I really do enjoy the work this is simply because the Organization's vision, mission and illusion to the community members .ie having a poverty free community and promoting literacy through training and support being offered to community.
Due to the problems I faced in the polygamous family, I would like to be stable enough and then look on a good, respectable and God fearing lady to start a relationship leading to marriage. Meaning currently I am single.

I usually like playing games like Football, Basketball not leaving table tennis.

My vision to is work and cooperate with any other Organization /group is willing and ready to promote awareness on gender, civic and any other rights to the community in order to get an empowered community free from poverty.
My mission is completing my Education to the advance and higher levels in my area of specialization so that I later provide relevant skills in the community and even rather society at large hence improving the ICT transmission in Kenya.