Fiona Njororai developed a passion for fashion at a young age, spending hours flipping through her mom’s glossy magazines while growing up in Nairobi, Kenya. After moving to the states, attending business school and joining the corporate world, she quickly realized she had a heart for nonprofits. After three years in an adviser role at The Gatehouse, her two loves collided when the Keeps Boutique coordinator position became available. While she was excited to help members build not only their wardrobes but also their senses of self-esteem, Fiona had to learn the ropes in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. But at the end of the day, Keeps Boutique’s and Fiona’s goal is still the same: healing women from the inside out.
I LOVE… fashion. My mom worked in fashion and textiles. I had a family friend in the U.S. who would mail ‘Vogue’ to us, so our house was full of magazines. That inspired me to conceptualize style ideas.
AFTER FINISHING… business school, I didn’t know how to apply to nonprofits. I thought I was going to go into a corporate job. But then there was such a God thing that happened. I met someone, and we kind of exchanged conversations around women empowerment, and I told her I am so passionate about women empowerment. Fast forward to a couple years later, she called me and said there is an opportunity for a position that serves refugees. I had volunteered with refugees while I was in business school, so I applied for the job and I got it. I realized this is definitely my calling.
I TRUSTED GOD TO… lead me to the next thing. I knew I wanted to work with women. That’s how I ended up at The Gatehouse. The same person who connected me to the refugee position led me to The Gatehouse. I became an adviser, but when I came to this job and saw they had a boutique, I thought that must be the most fun job. I always imagined what it would look like working there. I joked with [Keeps Boutique founder] Emily [Avedikian] that I wanted to be her assistant. When the position became available, Emily said she thought of me for who should fill the position.
AS SOON AS I GOT THE JOB… coronavirus became a thing. We had to go home and work remotely. It was very challenging. First of all, it was a new position. But Keeps Boutique is such an active place where people come and engage and shop, so it’s hard to work remotely. All I could do at first were virtual assessments. I met a lot of our members virtually. Building trust on a virtual platform can be challenging because there’s such a difference when people walk into the space.
I’VE HAD TO… continue to think of creative ways to keep members engaged with the boutique. We have brainstormed and tried to do virtual shopping sprees where I would present ideas, package pieces for them and send it to their apartments. I know it’s challenging because people feel like it’s an online shopping experience. We are just trying to figure out how to keep things running and keeping members engaged for the rest of the year.
IT’S MORE THAN… clothing. Our services involve building image, self-esteem and confidence — healing from the inside out. I don’t want clothes to just be a bandage. Even during this pandemic, I want to see people continuously value themselves and love themselves. I know that sometimes people feel intimidated to come into spaces they are not used to. I wanted to create a space where people aren’t paying attention to what brands and products they see. But they come in and know this is a transformation. They think they are coming to transform how they feel about their body.
OUR GOAL… hasn’t changed. At Keeps, we want to continuously give a hand up to women and children overcoming crisis by empowering them to become self-sustainable. Our work is actually more important now because members did lose jobs or some members are transitioning into new jobs. We want to make sure, even during the pandemic or post-pandemic, our ladies are ready.
KEEPS BOUTIQUE… is dependent on donations. We want to partner with more brands, specifically plus-size brands. Bras and underwear are some of our biggest needs right now. We also have a wish list online where people can go and buy specific things.