Build a better structure to sell vegetables

Entrepreneur

About Me

My name is Elizabeth Vukusi, born and raised in Western Kenya. This region is one few areas of Kenya with good climate for agriculture. It has a tropical rain climate where it rains throughout the year. In fact Kakamega forest which is near where I was born is the only true tropical forest in the region.

As with other regions with high agriculture potential, the area suffers from a problem of overpopulation. The farms are so small such that I does not make economic sense to do farming there. Due to this problem, I decided to relocate to Mombasa to live with a friend just after my secondary education.

Mombasa is a big city (by our standards) and I liked the place the moment I landed here. My friend was in business of selling vegetables and I learned fast from her and opened my own stall after a few months. I had very little money to start me off but I am glad the business is still standing three years later.

I am a mother of two kids.

My Business

I run a green grocery stall. This is a makeshift structure across the road where I stock my green vegetables. Most of the produce come from the countryside and then I buy then from a big market called Kongowea where farmers come to sell their harvests. This is repeated daily since most of the goods are perishable and there are no refrigeration facilities.

I sell produce such as cabbage, sukuma wiki (kales), bananas, tomatoes etc since almost every homestead uses these items. I make about $10 per day but half of it goes into my expenses. I use the profit to cater for my family expenses.

Loan Proposal

I am still selling green vegetables which I buy from wholesalers and then retail them from my outlet. This outlet is a makeshift structure by the roadside (as seen on the profile photo). While it has served me well since I started the business, it has some shortcomings. This becomes more apparent during the extreme weather condition - when it is very hot or rainy.

For this reason, I need a construct a good structure that can protect me from the elements. The building materials will cost me $100 and labor charges an extra $20. I will use the remaining balance to buy additional stock in anticipation of increased sales.

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