New seedlings for a tree nursery

Entrepreneur

About Me

I am Robert Japheth Osodoloo, I was born in a rural village of Kanyamwa in Homa Bay in 1948. I was born in a polygamous family (my father had 7 wives with 42 children). In my mother's house, I am the 2nd born in a family of 6 (4 boys and 2 girls ). I was brought up in a humble background with lots of life challenges pertaining to access to basic needs and education. Both my parents have died now. My father was a trader, trading in livestock and was a peasant farmer. My mother was a cereals trader and peasant farmer. I learnt skills on tree conservation from my mother during farm activities that she made a mandatory for her children.

I went through my education in Government funded schools and completed High School in 1968 at Homa Bay High School. After High School, I joined Kenya Polytechnic to pursue a Higher Diploma Course in Applied Biology. Upon my graduation in 1972, I got an employment with the Government of Kenya as a Laboratory Technologist between 1972 upto 2003.

I got married, in 1969, my wife was a Food Nutritionist and served with various schools in Kenya until the year 2006 when she retired and we both came back home in Mbita to do tree conservation, animal husbandry and farming. We are both doing the tree nursery business now as a family venture. I love beautification of environment (landscaping) and improving forest cover in order to combat climate change.

I am a social and outgoing person. I like watching football games, hockey and athletics.

My Business

I started tree nursery business in 2008. Our farm is a mixed up farm, we do animal husbandry, tree seedlings nursery and food crops farming. This farm is the source of our livelihood. It has provided another reason for life for me and my wife.

During the rainy season, I do sell upto 1,000 tree seedlings per day . This amounts to a monthly income of KES 27,000. I have many customers because I have the best of what they need, people like indigenous trees, I strive to provide the seedlings for them. I water the seedlings with the water I pump from a river passing the farm . The business is doing well though a substantial capital is needed to expand it in order to serve the ever-growing clients base.

Loan Proposal

I am seeking a loan of KES 9,134 to enable me purchase the following items;
-Hire of an additional worker =US$20
-Seedlings = US$40
-Pesticides and insecticides =US$20
-Fertilizers =US$10
-Seedling Papers =$10

Let me take this opportunity to thank my Zidisha lenders in advance. I will be honest and repay the loan on time.

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