Story that inspired Ruaraka man to start a business with just Sh300

NAIROBI, KENYA: People draw inspiration to start a business or pursue a dream from various places. For 24-year-old Julius Okonya from Baba Dogo in Ruaraka, Nairobi, a story published in this column last month gave him the impetus to go into business.

"I borrowed a newspaper from a vendor and came across the story about Elvis Musembi, a diploma holder who was making a profit and powering his dream of further education by buying and reselling tomatoes in Nairobi's Korogocho slum. I felt as if the story was speaking directly to me. It was a business idea I could easily finance. Although Musembi had the qualifications for a well-paying job, he was humble enough to start such a business. Not many would," says Okonya.

He decided to invest Sh300, the only money he had saved from a construction job. When we spoke to him, Okonya had been in the business for just a week and already he had saved Sh1,800.

"Although tomatoes are scarce in the market, I am sure of good prospects in the near future when the supply increases. I buy my stock from Korogocho and resell it in Baba Dogo," he says.

Okonya can now pay his rent and afford a good meal unlike before when he depended on unpredictable casual jobs.

And he is so optimistic about the future that he has opened a bank account to enable him save and expand his business.

"I am sure of making good returns soon. I plan to save and establish a green grocery. I also plan to get funds to train as a primary school teacher. I am grateful for that story that is turning my life around," says Okonya.