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| Ann Mariba |
Ann Mariba, known by the pet name Hopeoftomorrow, is a born-again 38-year-old Qatar-based Kenyan gospel artiste. Mariba (r) walked out of an accident scene without any serious injuries. The single mother of one, a 22-year-old son, told TUKO.co.ke that she was raised in a Christian family of four siblings: she and her three brothers. What was Mariba’s first job? She disclosed that her family was not well-off financially, so she was not educated to the level she had envisioned. With a baby and family to care for, she sought greener pastures abroad and relocated to Qatar in 2015. Her first job was as a tea girl. Over the years, she built up new skills and moved to customer service before landing a job as the first African female tram driver in Lusail. “I have been bullied, rejected and abandoned by my friends, family, and colleagues. I was told I will never be promoted I because I stammer,” she recalled. Mariba praises God through music Just when things seemed to be going well for her, Mariba escaped death by a whisker when she survived an accident. She recalled the incident while waiting at a T Junction as she headed home from a church fellowship. “It happened in April this year. I just heard a commotion, I can’t tell what really happened. Luckily, I didn’t get any injury or fracture,” she recalled, sharing photos of the wreck she walked out of. Having risen from grass to grace and watching God shield her from imminent death, Mariba chose to praise Him through gospel music. According to her, she conquered all the challenges because the universe revealed that there was greatness in her, as stated in the Bible in Joshua 1:9. “I have produced 10 songs so far, recorded in English, Swahili, and Gikuyu. Eight are on YouTube, but two have yet to be released. One is Goocai Jehova, another is titled Gikombe,” she narrated. Mariba looks back at her humble start, near-death miss, and current state and is grateful to God for being her strength when she is broken.