CUTTING MACHINE to make toys out of recycled containers

popeye    Apr 13, 2015

Nelson,
Just wanted to say I am praying your business picks up and you can see a bright future. Continue to stay in a positive attitude and be the provider of your wonderful family. I am pulling for you............Lucy

Kerry Tiedeman    Mar 11, 2015

More photos!

Kerry Tiedeman    Mar 11, 2015

Check out these photos of Nelson!

Kerry Tiedeman    Mar 9, 2015

My name is Kerry Tiedeman and I am a Client Relationship Intern for Zidisha in Nairobi, Kenya. Today I had the opportunity of meeting with Nelson, the waste management extradorinaire at his office just outside of Nairobi.

Nelson has been working in Waste Management since he was seven years old and sorted trash out of dump sites to sell food remnants to people rearing pigs and other item for some money. He is originally from Dandora, an estate with one of the biggest dump sites in Kenya. He continued with waste management in highschool when he realized what the trash was doing to the environment. He began an organization called the Domestic Garbage Collection Services with ten of his classmates. They began by serving the municipal county voluntarily, since the county itself was not doing the job well. The municipal lent out their trucks and Nelson and his group set up bins and went about collecting the trash when the bins were full. The people in the community grew to depend on this service and soon the organization became a business and they began charging them a monthly service fee. Nelson is a true entrepreneur, he created a need and then began charging.

During this time period, Nelson applied for a 3 month course on waste management given by the United Nations and was accepted. He said the course had a huge impact on how he operates his business. He learned how he should be collecting the trash as well as the payment. Nelson continued with the business in Dandora, until a local cartel demanded payoffs. He denied them and conflict began. He said there was gunshots and people were hurt, so he decided to move himself and his business to Nairobi.

Starting all over again was a huge challenge. And in the beginning he sold Mandazis (fried dough) in the mornings while providing security services to apartment buildings at night to earn the capital for starting the business again. Now, Nelson has not only restarted the business, but grown it to the point where he has joined up with 20 other waste management owners in two areas of Nairobi to form Githukah. This way, since they are all private companies, they are more secure if the government comes in to regulate business. Now there is official documentation and agreements.

I walked with Nelson on his runs to deliver the plastic bags he distributes to his customers as well as collect money. He has great relationships with all his customers and it was fun to walk around with them. He told me, "It's going to get hot" since we were walking during the high sun in his village. I told him I can handle it, though my skin has a harder time with it. (I'm very pale). We also visited his wife and baby girl. Next to his home is his stall, where he sells plastic to companies that crush it and reuse it for new materials. He also buys the plastic from kids like his 6 year old self. He uses a weight scale that he purchased with the help of Zidisha Lenders. He also used the loan from Zidisha to pay for the stall space where he sells the plastic. There wasn't any left when I visited, since the broker had just picked up all the plastic the day before. Nelson is waiting for the check, but all a good sign that business is doing well. He hopes that with more loans from Zidisha he will be able to purchase a plastic crusher machine and a molding machine, so he can stop selling plastic and actually manufacture new items like cups and child's toys.

Nelson also volunteers his time for a USAID project that empowers local youth. While walking around we met some other members who work on the project. And at Nelson's house while i was playing with his adorable daughter he showed me a brochure of what they do. Nelson has a lot of projects and a lot of energy. He wanted to make sure I saw every aspect of his business as well as the different shops in his neighborhood. We ate at a great local spot. I told him it was the longest amount of time I had ever spent with a borrower. So now the record is 5 hours. This was 5 hours very well spent!

Nelson    Jan 5, 2015

thanks guys for lending me a loan that helped me though my business went down but am picking up slowly thanks guys in advance and pliz bare with my loan adjustment and be able to pay fully yours nelson mutabe

SeeMeeFi    Aug 14, 2014

Congratulations on paying off your loan, Nelson! Way to go!! I hope you have been able to use this to advance your business!

Martin    Apr 24, 2014

Good job Nelson keep the spirit

SeeMeeFi    Apr 8, 2014

Thank you for your consistent repayments, Nelson! I am so happy for you that your business is doing well. I wish you all the best!

Nelson    Sep 24, 2013

Dear Zidisha,

I have used the Zidisha loan to purchase the cutting machine and the weighing machine so am currently handling large quantity of plastics thus my business is doing well and I intend to start repaying the loan as soon as possible. Thanks all who contributed towards my loan and God bless you all.

Nelson    Sep 10, 2013

Dear Lenders,

Thanks for contributing towards my loan and I will use the loan to expand my business hence I will keep you posted on the progress of my business because you are now part of my business. I will strive hard to ensure I repay the loan on time. God bless all who contributed towards my loan.

Nelson    Sep 9, 2013

Dear Lenders,

Thanks to FlatironMike for contributing towards and God bless You. I kindly request other Zidisha lenders to consider contributing towards my loan thus I will use the loan to expand my business. I will keep you posted on the weekly progress of my business because you will automatically become partner to the business and also ensuring to repay the loan on time.

Thanks all for the support and be blessed throughout the week.

Nelson    Sep 8, 2013

Dear Lenders,

Thanks to nullologue and camilberlin for contributing towards my loan hence I kindly request other lenders to consider contributing towards my loan to enable me use the funds to expand my business, few days are left before my loan expires thus I kindly request you all to consider contributing towards my loan. I will ensure to repay my loan as proposed and in the process also create employment for other young people.

God bless you and have a resourcefully and enjoyable week.

Nelson    Sep 7, 2013

Dear Lenders,

I kindly request you to consider contributing towards my loan so that I can use the cash to expand my business hence I will ensure to repay you on time as I have proposed. Kindly assist and God will bless you.

Nelson    Sep 6, 2013

Dear Lenders,

Thanks to all who have contributed towards my loan but it's not fully funded thus I kindly request other lenders to contribute towards my loan hence this will ensure access to funds then expanding my business and I will ensure to repay your loan in time.

Thanks for considering my requests and look forward to see you contributing towards my loan.

God bless you all.

Nelson    Sep 6, 2013

Dear Hope2012,

Thanks for considering to contribute towards my loan hence I will effectively utilise to ensure my business expands and meets the demand of customers and last but not least I will keep you posted and repay on time the loan

Nelson    Sep 5, 2013

Dear Lenders,

I kindly request you to contribute towards my loan thus enabling me to expand my business and in the process keeping my community clean. I will ensure to repay the loan on time to enable others benefit and also in the process I will create employment for other local young people thus becoming self reliant and independent.

Thanks in advance and God bless you all.

Nelson    Sep 3, 2013

Dear Lenders,

Thanks for contributing towards my loan hence I kindly request more lenders to contribute towards my loan and I will utilize in expanding my business and keeping the local community clean.

May God bless you for considering to contribute towards my loan and being part of my business.

Thanks all

Nelson    Sep 1, 2013

Dear Lenders,

I kindly request you to consider contributing towards my loan so that I can expand my business and increase the proceeds thus being in position to repay the loan. Kindly assist and God will bless you.

Nelson    Aug 31, 2013

Dear Mhalme,

Thanks for contributing towards my loan and I will utilize for expanding my business then ensure to repay on time so that you can support others or use your cash. Thanks and God bless you

Nelson    Aug 29, 2013

Dear Lenders,

I am grateful for supporting the vulnerable people across the globe hence I kindly request you to consider giving me loan to enable me expand my business hence creating employment for other young people and keeping our community clean. Kindly try me with your loan and you will not regret because it will empower more people and I will repay on time. Thanks and God bless you for considering to support me.