Faith 'Favoured' Njuguna is passionate about acting and beauty. She studied mass communication and wanted to be a TV presenter. "Well, little did I know that my face would end up on TV, not as a presenter but as a commercial model," says Faith who has done a number of TVCs (television commercials), print adverts and has also been on billboards.

Faith has done about 15 advertisements between 2017 and 2022 and has advertised for some of the leading brands like Safaricom, Equity Bank, Soko Ugali, Shell among others. "I was lucky to get a main role in my first audition," she says. "It was a role as a mum and from then on they started flowing," says Faith. She also got a chance to act in the local drama, 'Papa Shirandula'.

She, however, feels that the government hasn't recognised the entertainment industry as it should. "You will find that talent's names are bigger than their pocket. Most of the local talent are famous but have nothing to show for their fame as most are undercompensated," she notes. It is an industry where the expectations from society exceed the reality. When people see you on a billboard, they expect you must have been paid a huge amount of money, which is rarely the case.

Faith complements what she gets from commercial modelling with content creation. "I market various brands," she says. "I'm also a fertility wellness advocate and is in the process of finalising on the registration of my foundation; Uzazi Bora Africa, whose main objective is reproductive health," explains Faith. This initiative was birthed out of her personal story.

"I want to use my story to impact society. I suffered ectopic pregnancies and experienced child loss as a result. I want to encourage a girl or woman out there who might have experienced a similar loss. Often times, women have to walk the healing journey alone since hardly anyone understands why you are broken and in mourning," Faith explains.

Incidentally Faith tells us that about 80 percent of the advertisements she has done have had her playing the role of a young mum. "While we are on set, the kids I'm playing mum to would get attached to me and say they want to go home with me," she says. "I would get very emotional at first but with time, it started getting better. The advertisements have helped me to heal," she says. As a believer, I believe all things work together for good, she says.

What challenges come with commercial modelling? "Just like in any other industry, there are unscrupulous players who want to take advantage of talents by not honouring the market rate, which results in poor compensation," she explains.

And what is the trick to success? "You have to be prepared. Do not enter the industry purely for money because you are bound to get disappointed. Be passionate and attend auditions consistently without tiring. This industry needs one to be patient and consistent," advises Faith.

"Learn to appreciate the process. Rarely will you build your name overnight; it takes time. Learn from your previous audition and ensure you perform better in the next audition. With time, someone will most probably notice your effort and work will start to come," she says.

"When you get into it with a purpose, utilising your talent as an actor, money follows," Faith says in conclusion.