Many leaders from every kind of industry and all walks of life have graced IMD leadership forums and seminars over the years, but few, if any, have overcome the struggles Janet Bett faced when she found herself homeless on the streets of Nairobi as a mother trying to care for six young children.

A member of the Kipsigis people and born in 1958 on the outskirts of Kericho, a town in the Kenyan Rift Valley, Janet grew up speaking three languages — Kipsikii, Swahili, and English — and, unusually for a girl from the western highlands of Kenya in those days, she attained basic teacher-training qualifications and briefly taught English in the local school before getting married and having children.

Unfortunately, her husband proved to be controlling and abusive, so Janet left her village for the capital city, Nairobi — seven hours away by bus — where she found shelter with an aunt (who had also fled a highly abusive marriage) in the hope of finding casual work. Sadly, her aunt died a few months later, and unable to find work, Janet found herself out on the street, fending for herself and her six children. She was homeless for three years, barely surviving, and although she found some sense of community with other mothers who were obliged to beg in order to support their children, she clearly felt very alone. She says, without a trace of self-pity, “At the end of the day, it was just me, Janet — but I survived.”

Read more at: https://www.imd.org/news/leadership/innovation-at-the-bottom-of-the-pyramid-through-pioneering-female-leadership/