How I bounced back after losing my business

Christine Wanjiru Njeru was running a thriving salon in Nairobi. Clients flocked to her door making her job as a hairdresser and beautician profitable. To cap it all, she had landed a lucrative youth empowerment project to train youth on hairdressing skills.

But then misfortune struck and she had to close down. Her business premises was sold and the new owner evicted all tenants. The salon Njeru had nurtured for eight long years was no more.

She was back to square one; hustling to find another strategic location to set up her salon. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months, as her savings wilted away in the dry spell. Tough times came calling, which as fate would have it, shaped her journey into the arts.

Today, the middle-aged woman is a common face in various arts exhibitions in Embu County and other parts of the country, where she showcases household items made from recycled products.

Njeru who hails from Runyenjes says that after completing Form Four, she studied hairdressing and beauty therapy and was employed for three years at various salons in Nairobi before she set up her own business.

When her salon closed down two years ago, she had zero interest in becoming a salon employee.

“Tough times made me innovative and I became a freelance hairdresser, moving from house to house to see my clients. I also prayed a lot, asking God to give me a job that is less crowded,” she told CityBiz.

She was sitting in her house one day, when she thought of making a lamp shade using scratched CDs and strings. And so she weaved a beautiful pattern on each CD, joined them to a frame to create a unique lamp shade.

“It came out beautifully, motivating me to try out more complicated pieces,” she says.

Over time, her finesse has improved and today, she is proud of her art collection, which includes artificial flowers made from water or soda bottles and CD stands. She also makes sandals from plastic bottles and factory soles.

Njeru also makes flower decorations from used whisky bottles and beer cans. But that’s not all, she makes weaves for women using thread; offering a cheaper alternative to imported weaves.

From empty plastic containers, Njeru creates hair clips, necklaces and recycles sim card holders into attractive earrings.

Using old clothes and discarded CDs, she makes table decorations. Njeru uses shock-absorbing materials to make wall hangings. As if that’s not enough, she up-cycles worn-out tyres into outdoor and indoor tables, sofa sets and seats.

She has exhibited her collection in Uganda and Burundi.

“My products have been received better in foreign countries compared to what people think of them here in Kenya. In Kampala, I received partnership requests from people who proposed starting a factory to recycle useful products,” said Njeru who declined these offers to give herself time to grow.

She mostly works from her house in Kiambuthi estate of Embu County, but sometimes visits factories for specialised items. She collects the raw materials and does all the work herself.

With her products retailing for Sh100 to Sh6,000, she earns between Sh20,000 and Sh30,000 monthly, money she augments with her freelance salon hustles.

“This job is fulfilling. I use my creativity to conserve the environment by turning trash into useful products. My best moments are when people appreciate my work, either by buying or just complimenting me. That’s why I see a future in it,” she says.