Many Kenyans were surprised to learn that Roseline “Rosie” Atieno, the popular Kenyan nanny, has decided to stay in Lebanon with her previous employer, as many had expected her to move to Canada.
Rossie’s touching tale attracted a lot of attention and gave her a lot of opportunities. One noteworthy offer was made by Catherine Joe, the director of Vintmark Travel Agency, who suggested a sponsored student visa for Canada along with a KSh 30,000 job.
Rossie made the decision to go back to Lebanon with her kids in spite of the enthusiasm from online users urging her to take advantage of the fantastic opportunity.
Many were perplexed by this decision, with internet user Leinathan Otiemel raising concerns about the trade-off between education and employment. Nila Natwati, on the other hand, stood up for Rossie’s autonomy over her fate.
Various reactions from netizens included Lillian Ythera expressing surprise that Vintmark did not send her to Canada,.
Aus Baibe Nya Masaat humorously requested the Canadian scholarship, and Maina Esther suggested that perhaps someone else received the Canada opportunity.
Another development revealed that Rossie’s Lebanese boss acknowledged the Canada opportunity in a TikTok video, stating that Rossie seriously considered the offer.
The boss had earlier encouraged Rossie to stay in Kenya with her children instead of returning to Lebanon.
Rosie gained widespread in December recently when a video capturing her emotional farewell from the Lebanese family she had been working for went viral.
In a recent interview with Pancras Karema, CEO of Expeditions Maasai Safaris, Rosie, a mother of three, shared the reasons behind her decision to leave Kenya for the Levant.
She revealed that her journey to Lebanon was prompted by the challenges in her personal life, particularly her exit from a marriage that was not working.
Seeking better opportunities, Rosie chose to relocate to the Middle East in October 2021 to provide a brighter future for her children.
Describing the initial meeting with the family, Rosie said, “The first experience with the family when we met at the airport, the mother of the kids just said, ‘Wow’ when she saw me. We blended from the first day.”
Lebanon started feeling like home for Rosie, and she hasn’t set a definite date for her return to Kenya. Despite this, she plans to continue working with the same family until the children are a bit older.
