For many sports lovers in coastal counties, it is hard to miss a tall, dark and slender woman behind one of the many cameras capturing the action on the field.
Damaris Akinyi, a videographer at Majestic TV, an online Mombasa-based television station, is one of the few women in the country excelling in this field. Majestic TV is known for live streaming sports at the Coast.
Akinyi, fondly referred to as Ademah, by close friends, never imagined she would one day work behind the camera.
However, her passion for sports has been her greatest motivation. The 24-year-old credits her love for sports to her grandfather John Nyangira (deceased), whom she remembers as an exceptional footballer and a dedicated sports enthusiast.
“He was a great footballer and I believe I must have taken after him,” she said.
Akinyi’s role model is renowned sports journalist Carol Radull. Born and raised along the shores of Lake Victoria in Homa Bay town, Akinyi grew up facing economic hardships.
“I was brought up in a polygamous family in Ngere village on the outskirts of Homa Bay county,” she said.
The first of five siblings, she had to take up responsibilities early. After completing secondary school, she took up menial jobs in the village to make ends meet.
With her savings, she opened a small grocery shop that helped support her family. One day, she came across an advert from the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM), calling for applications for courses beginning in 2021.
“I wasn’t sure how I would pay for college, but I decided to apply anyway,” she recalled.
She was accepted for a degree programme in broadcast journalism. Her community held a fundraiser to help cover her tuition fees.
“I joined TUM for my degree course, something I had never thought possible,” she said.
Back in her village, many young girls were forced to drop out of school due to poverty, early marriage and teenage pregnancy.
Now a graduate, Akinyi is among the few female sports videographers in Coast.
“I can handle the camera with confidence. I’m skilled in video editing, sound engineering, and newscasting. But what I love most, is telling sports stories,” she said.
She livestreams football and rugby league matches and hopes to see more women take up careers in videography.
“Yes, challenges will come, especially at the beginning, but it’s important to dare. As women, we need to stand out and break barriers,” she said.
Majestic TV chief executive officer Steve Musyoki described Akinyi as hardworking, resilient and a go-getter driven by passion.
“She is one of the rising stars here at Majestic,” he said.
Musyoki acknowledged there is still a perception women cannot operate cameras as well as men do.
