Kenyan Automotive Technician Returns Home After Struggling to Find Work in Italy

Kenyan automotive technician Sheilanne Chabi has returned home from Italy after struggling to secure work in Europe, taking up a new role as Executive Director at CAC & Accessories in Syokimau.

Chabi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Transportation Design from Torino, Italy, and a Diploma in Automotive Engineering. She had previously sought public assistance to find employment in Europe’s automotive sector, where she hoped to build a career related to her training.

Her search for work in Italy proved difficult despite her qualifications. To support herself, Chabi learned nail artistry and began offering her services on the streets of Torino. She said the experience taught her the value of honest work and the importance of remaining persistent during difficult periods.

After returning to Kenya, Chabi was appointed Executive Director at CAC & Accessories, an automotive firm based in Syokimau. The position allows her to combine her experience in automotive engineering with the transportation design skills she developed in Italy. Chabi said professional connections from her earlier career in Kenya helped her secure the position.

“I had a bunch of connections from my past career in automotive engineering here in Kenya. So once I spread the word I was back, a friend told the owner of the auto shop garage in Syokimau, and I started the role,” she said.

Her experience in Italy also changed her perspective on moving abroad for work. She said her experience showed that qualifications do not always translate directly into employment opportunities in another country. Chabi has urged people not to view returning home after an unsuccessful experience abroad as a failure.

“I want to add that there is no shame in going back home when things don't work for you abroad. Home is home,” she said.

Her career has taken her from working as a mechanic in Kenya to studying in Italy, searching for employment abroad and eventually returning to Kenya for an executive position. Chabi said she remains grateful to the strangers and fellow Kenyans who supported her during the most difficult period of her search for work. She hopes her experience will encourage others to view setbacks as part of their wider journey rather than as failures.