I pocket Sh300 profit per day hawking tea

A cup of tea.

Just after high school, I thought I’d be getting into a world of unlimited possibilities with a job market that would readily absorb me based on how young and energetic I was.

But after searching for work everywhere and not getting anything, I was forced to do odd jobs that came my way.

Through the odd jobs, I saved whatever I could to eventually go into business. However, surviving on a meagre wage leaves little to save. Also, emergencies can easily wipe out what little you manage to save.

Julia Mwangi, 23

My saving pace was too slow, so I applied for a mobile money loan of Sh2,600 and invested in a portable tea dispenser and disposable cups. That was a couple of months back and I had not even figured out how I was going to repay the loan.

I started hawking tea and made good returns on the first day. I was able to clear the loan on time.

The challenges I face include customers who just want to sexually harass me and end up throwing abusive words at me.

There’s also a lot of competition, so I’m often forced to walk long distances to look for customers, yet this doesn’t always pay off.

The most I make on a good day is Sh300.

I’ve come to learn that mobile money loans shouldn’t go towards your spending, but to investing. This will make a big difference and leave you with something to reinvest, or put you in an even better position after you’ve repaid it.