How self-help groups cushioned jua kali sector from biting corona hardships

A man push his cart along Mudavadi road on 24-08-2015 that are used in the jua-kali sector for making jikos and other valuable utensils at a cheap price, most Kenyans prefer jua-kali made utensils due to their price and quality (PHOTO:BONIFACE THUKU)

Globally, the Covid-19 has had a deleterious effect on the socio-economic fabric of most societies. From well-established conglomerates to small-scale firms, most businesses are barely operating as the worldwide prevalence of the coronavirus continues to stall activities. Kenya is not an exception, as high-end to small-scale entities have either ceased operations or are partially functioning. Unsurprisingly, the government is also struggling to sustain its activities, as its normal fiscal pragmatism continues to depreciate inexorably.

Amidst all the shocks and confusion that have encumbered most people, jua kali traders and service providers such as boda boda operators, have not been severely affected. For a long time, small-scale business operators in the so-called jua kali sector have always been misconstrued as people who cannot formulate smart ideas. It is from such misconceptions and disparaging perceptions that these people came up with self-help groups that have, since then, sufficed their financial needs and enabled them to aggrandise their economic worth.