Dropping out of school didn’t stop her from dreaming big

At Village Mall, a shopping arcade located in Bugolobi, a city suburb, a group of 20 security guards stand still and attentive. It is 7am on a cold Monday morning. Addressing them is Halima Nkonge, a tall and well-built woman. Unlike the guards clad in blue uniform, she is wearing a pair of formal grey trousers and a pink blouse.

About 40 minutes later, Nkonge leaves the group and joins me for our scheduled meeting. Currently, the 36-year-old who works as an assistant operations manager at KK Security Group of Companies brings me up to speed on what she was telling the other guards.
“I was discussing job expectations with them, finding out their respective challenges, seeking solutions together but most importantly, appreciating them for a job well-done,” she says.

Nkonge has been the assistant operations manager since 2017. Before her current role, she worked in different positions after joining the company in 2003 as a guard. “I worked as a security guard for three years and six months before being promoted to site supervisor, senior supervisor, assistant staffing officer, staffing officer, senior staffing officer and project manager, a position I was officially appointed to in 2016,” she says.

Humble beginnings
Despite Nkonge’s career growth, getting to where she is today has not been smooth. After losing her father in 2002, she was unable to continue with her Advanced Level education.
“I studied only first term of Senior Five in 2002 and dropped out due to lack of tuition. After my father’s death, my mother was unable to pay my school fees,” she says.

Nkonge completed her Senior Four in 2001 at Mother Kevina Senior Secondary School in Jinja District, where she also joined Senior Five but only studied for one term. Rather than stay at home, Nkonge embarked on a job search dropping job applications at different companies that needed a security guard.
Nyanza Textile Industries Ltd in Jinja District employed her. “I worked at the company for nine months before joining KK Security Group of Companies, in May 2003 still as a security guard.”

Challenges
Nkonge has faced different challenges in the respective job positions she has held over the years. When she was still a security guard, the working hours were mostly unfavourable.
“Sometimes, I worked the night shift, meaning that I was not in position to return home to my family,” says the married mother of three children aged 13, eight and five years.
Then, there were some individuals who disrespected her while on duty. “They at times did not want to be checked and when I would apply force, they would say all sorts of obscene insults,” she says.

When she was still operating in the position of staffing officer, it was a norm for her to receive a minimum of 200 phone calls day and night.
“I found it overwhelming to the extent that I would not answer some of the calls. This sometimes caused me problems as some of the calls were from my bosses or clients who needed to hire security guards,” she says.
Her current position also comes with its own issues including working overtime and handling the attitude of different security guards working under her.

“Some of the security guards hired come with a lot of frustration which affects workflow and productivity,” she says, adding, “But I have learnt to manage them according to their respective temperaments.”
Also, there is the issue of office politics which Nkonge says exists just like in any other company. “I always try to detach myself from work politics because it is not productive. Imagine, rather than working on an assignment, one is gossiping about a colleague in office. It does not help and can create enemity,” she says.
At her workplace, Nkonge prefers to focus on setting objectives and delivering results.

Benefits
Nkonge says besides getting experience and improving her communication skills, she has been exposed to many people and established close friendships with some of them. To other women who dropped out of school because of unavoidable circumstances, Nkonge advises them to also lookout for opportunities rather than remaining home and throwing “pity parties” for themselves.

Enrolling back in school

Nkonge completed Primary Seven in 1997 at Naminya R.C Primary School, Bugerere Road in Kayunga. She then joined Mother Kevin Senior Secondary School in Jinja District where she completed Senior Four in 2001. She sat her first term of Senior Five at the same school before dropping out after the death of her father in 2002.

In 2014, after saving some money, she enrolled for a six-month certificate course in Public Administration and Management at the Department of Distance Learning at Makerere University. Upon completion, she immediately enrolled for a certificate in Business Administration and Management at Multitech Business School and later for a diploma in the same course at the same institute. She was awarded both the certificate and diploma earlier this year (2018).
Currently, she is pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Management, specialising in Procurement and Supply Management, still at Multitech Business School. Nkonge applied for the degree as she was completing her diploma.

What others say…
“I have known Halima since 2003. She has risen through different positions to get to her position. She is a woman of integrity. In addition, she is committed, disciplined and very hardworking.”
Charles Andeoye, country operations manager at KK Security and Nkonge’s supervisor

“Halima is a dedicated person. She loves her job and diligently serves the company. Here at work, we nicknamed her “young general” because of the seriousness she attaches to her work.”
Ronald Walugembe, key accounts manager at KK Security

“I admire Halima because of the commitment she has towards her work. From time to time, she gives us useful tips on how to be more productive.”
Janet Nabuduwa, security officer