For her, joining Cellulant, a company with an extensive reach across Africa, was a no-brainer. Unlike other companies that import solutions, Cellulant creates solutions specifically designed for Africa.
Meet Faima Mwami, who also goes by the moniker Mrs Beast in Cellulant Corridors. Faima is the last born of 4 siblings. She describes herself as someone who tends to be reserved and quiet when placed in unfamiliar surroundings; however, she becomes more outgoing and friendly once she gets comfortable. Faima describes herself as results-driven and always gets fulfilled when she has a concrete goal and fully gets time to accomplish it.
Faima completed her studies at the United States International University-Africa, where she studied Information Systems and technology. She started her career as a Database Administrator and later transitioned to a software engineer after interacting with other Software engineers and mentors in the industry.
She shares her Cellulant journey as a wife, daughter, and software engineer five years later.
What are your hidden talents?
Hmm! I am a perfect henna and makeup artist.
What is your favourite meal and African Artist?
When it comes to tantalising my taste buds, nothing beats a succulent seafood dish, and my absolute favourite is prawns made with creamy coconut milk.
My current favourite African Artist is Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun from Nigeria, also known as Wizkid, because, to me, he is the true definition of a musical genius, and this translates through his lyrics, beat, and performances.
How did you know about Cellulant?
I knew Cellulant through frequent Tingg advertisements with the shortcode (*369#) my peers used to get and through some of my peers who worked as interns here at Cellulant. So I got interested to know what Tingg is and how it works, and one of the guys was patient enough even to take me through the shortcode. So after that, I did my research and found out more about Cellulant.
What attracted you to Cellulant?
I joined Cellulant due to its vast footprint in Africa and its unique vision of enabling seamless payments for businesses, banks, and consumers across Africa.
How long have you been in your role, and What’s the one problem you are solving for clients in your market?
Wow! I have been in my role as a Software engineer for five years. One problem I solve for our customers is the uptime of services for all the clients. I also ensure they have multiple payment options across all payment channels.
I never found it challenging to transition from Database Administration to Software engineering because, outside my working hours, I used to practice building microservices. Plus, I love that I can still bring my short experience as a Database Administrator into software development.
What would you say has been the most exciting part of the job?
Cross-functional collaboration I am always amazed by the thought process of different people I work with. It is exciting and rewarding because I get to practice some of my learnings.
What do you love about Cellulant, and what has been your most rewarding moment?
I can’t mention just one thing because many reasons come to mind.
I love Cellulant because of its conducive work environment and teamwork spirit. It is easy to get sufficient support from other team members and managers. I also enjoy working with brilliant minds in different teams and markets.
For the rewarding moments, cellulant has, in many ways, challenged my professional development and growth. It has allowed me to grow and advance through my career ladder, which has been the greatest reward. Additionally, being recognised for my efforts and work.
What has been the most significant challenge/learning opportunity about the job?
Learning to voice my ideas and solutions to others without fear of contradiction or correction has helped me look at things differently. « Fear cuts deeper than swords.”
Who has been the most significant influence in your career & why?
My father and husband have both played a significant role in my career. They have ensured that I worked diligently, with integrity, and always did everything to the best of my ability. They also made me realise that it’s okay only to know some things and always ask for help whenever I am stuck.
How do you want to be remembered?
I want people to remember me as a person who is authentic, dependable, calm, focused, and trustworthy.
In your own words, what does Cellulant want to do in Africa, and why is that inspirational for you?
We are revolutionising the payments industry by availing highly available and ready-to-use payment solutions. Providing these solutions is inspirational to me because a digital revolution is coming, and I will be part of it.
Parting quote?
“You only live once, but once is enough if you do it right.“
