Awinja: The Grass to Grace Story Characterized by Loss, Pain, Mysteries, and Victory

Jackie Vike, artistically known as Awinja, is one of the most successful actors and one the funniest comedians in Kenya.

Awinja is the name of the character she first portrayed in Papa Shirandula. She is a primitive house girl with a deep Luhya accent. Jacky uses Awinja’s character to show how village girls dubbed ‘kienyeji’ behave.

Away from the Awinja character that makes look outdated and old fashioned, Jackie is a beautiful and natural woman whose sense of fashion is top-notch.

However, very few people know the inspiring story of the person she is today. From living poorly in Nairobi slums to falling for a role at Papa Shirandula, her journey can be termed a grass to grace story characterized by loss, pain, mysteries, and victory.

Here’s what you should know about the lovely actress, as complied by the Mkenya Leo team.

Family Background

Jackie was born in a hood in Eastleigh on September 8, 1987. She is the thirdborn of five siblings, two sons, and three daughters.

In an interview with Engage Talk, Jackie revealed that her family struggled with poverty when she was growing up. She narrated how her father was a drunkard and would embarrass the entire family whenever he drank. She, however, insisted that her father was a family man who dedicated himself to ensuring that his children never lacked basic needs though he had no stable income.

In the interview, Jackie disclosed that she was close to her younger brother. She explained that her brother started associating himself with a bad company of thieves, and he was shot dead by police officers who thought he was also a thief.

Jackie claimed that the death of her brother broke her as she had plans on how to help him stabilize on his own. She still cries whenever she thinks about her beloved brother.

As if the pain of losing a beloved brother was not enough, her elder brother was in prison and he could not attend his brother’s funeral.

The elder brother was finally released from prison but, unfortunately, his wife died, sending him into an alcoholism den.

Awinja claims that she still supports her brother and children as they have not fully healed from the loss of her sister-in-law. She also supports her younger sisters, who are still school-going.

Education Background

Jackie attributes her access to education to her mother, who had raised her and her siblings singlehandedly. Her father died when was still in primary due to health complications caused by too much drinking.

The beauty went to Heshima Road Primary School in Eastleigh for her primary education then proceed to Kegoya High School in Western for her secondary education

Career

Jackie is a “jack of all trades.” The girl can sing, act, host, influence corporate marking, host TV shows, and make people laugh.

Her journey in art started when she was still young at school. In various interviews, she disclosed that she started performing for drama festivals when she was in class four. She continued her passion when she joined high school, where she also performed in music and drama festivals.

It was one of these performances that the legendary storyteller Kennedy Otukho noticed her and urged her to pursue acting after completing her secondary education.

She followed Kennedy’s advice as Theater-Ensemble, an artistic group for acting set books. She later joined the local drama Wash and Set, which aired on NTV as a schoolgirl.

Luck shined on her when she met Charles Bukeko (Papa Shirandula) at a documentary audition. Charles liked her skill and requested her to join Papa Shirandula as Awinja. Even though she was unsure that she would deliver the role well due to her lack of a heavy Luhya accent, she practiced, and she managed to master everything required of Awinja.

Her Awinja role jelled with Wibroda, played by Jackie Nyaminde, enabling her to soar into higher heights of her career.

She started appearing on NTV’s The Trend Show shortly after joining Papa Shirandula.

Her fame attracted many corporates who wanted her to help them advertise their products. Among the top-notch products, she has advertised include, Geisha and Tusker.

In February this year, Jackie decided to surprise her fans with her first single, Sio Lazima. The song is performed with a lot of comedy featuring Wilbroda and comedienne Eunice Mammito, and it has gained over 400k views on YouTube.

Self-Esteem Issues

Like other artists, Jacky has struggled with low self-esteem. In the Engage Talk interview, she revealed that her home background in the hood affected her esteem. She claimed that her hood had no hope for a better future because many youths were turning to criminal activities to earn money and lift their self-esteem.

The pretty actress shocked her fans when she revealed that was bullied because of her sharp jawline, which bullies claimed that she looked like a man. She claimed that she avoided close-up photos because she feared being called ugly because of her jawline.

Personal Life

Jackie is married and has a son. She, however, never parades her family on social media for the public to see. She claims that she enjoys motherhood as it allows her to learn new experiences everyday.