Meet the lady who started hawking items you never knew you'd need while on the road

How would you feel if you could never eat ugali again?

I was in a marriage that was promising in the beginning but failed to work out a couple of years back. With four children to take care of, it was very hard, so I took on any odd jobs that would give me some money at the end of the day. I dropped out of school in Form two and didn’t have any marketable skills, so you can imagine how hard it was to make ends meet.

Because of the nature of odd jobs, including that they’re hard to come by, I had to do something that promised a steady source of income. After doing lots of market research, I found that selling pillows and cushions could my me a way out. I needed to specialise in something that not many people had ventured into, as I didn’t have the luxury of fighting for business in a crowded industry.

I needed the money for my kids. I got started selling pillows with sh1,000 in capital. I bought a dozen pillows at wholesale prices, and started hawking them. I have been selling pillows and cushions for the last two years in Nakuru town, and business picked up quite well in the beginning. these days, however, I have quite a bit of competition. also, when it’s rainy, it’s di cult to make a sale. It can get tiring walking all day and then going back home with all the stock. but when business is going well, I make between sh500 and sh1,200. My belief is that one must keep pushing on as there will always be something to show for your efforts if you are persistent