Watts Up Magazine wattsup magazine online | Page 40

WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
Queen of green energy
By Staff Writer
H
elen Odegi quit her job in the
h hdhdgdgdhhv
pharmaceutical industry to place a bet
on the energy sector. Years later, the advocate
for Women in Energy has no regrets. Her hat is
already bedecked with all manner of feathers, a
direct reward for her persistent desire to make
a positive impact. She is a board member in
the energy sector of the Kenya Private Sector
Alliance (KEPSA), a senior manager at Premium
Petroleum Company Limited and a volunteer
trainer of women in green energy. She talked to
our team:
Helen Odegi, Board Member KEPSA
To who or what do you owe this great
victory?
I owe this award to my mother, Florence
and my sister, Dorcas. Those two have
stood by me. My mother is not in the
technical field but she listens and gives me
sound advice. My sister is in the finance
and has always given me advice from all
angles, especially on matters paper work.
Describe your journey into the energy
sector
I remember when I was graduating in 2001
with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry
from Kenyatta University. The Vice
Chancellor stated, “You have been given
40
WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
the power to read.” I did not understand
that statement until some years later when
I landed a job as a sales representative at
Dalbit Petroleum in Nairobi, Bujumbura
and Burundi. My interest in the energy
sector began and after two years, I came
back to Kenya and my interest grew as I
moved up the ladder in the sector.
In 2014, I started gaining special interest
in green energy and found my purpose. In
2015, I was trained by the World Bank in a
program called Energy Sector Strategies in
Greening the Economy. After the training,
I tried applying for a job but I was not
successful. Then I made a choice to be
the change that I wanted. I registered
my company, Skylon Global, and started
providing training on renewable energy,
mostly on solar installations. Receiving
this award is a validation that I am making
an impact. I am looking forward to creating
more impact.
How do you manage to play so many
roles in representing women in the
energy
sector?
Consistency… I once read somewhere that
when one dies, nobody remembers what
they owned. One is only remembered by
the impact they made while alive. I do not
measure my success in terms of tangible