My name is Wilberforce Okelo, and I was brought up in a very poor background, raised by my grandparents, and that made me whom I am today.

As for my biological parents, they could not live together due to constant wrangles, hence their separation when I was only five.

In 2006, when I was fourteen, my mother unfortunately passed away from meningitis. That was during the time when she had reconciled with my father after nine years of separation.

Due to my hard-working nature and perseverence in school, I managed to sit for my Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams, in 2006, scoring 304/500. Through hardship, I also managed to sit for my Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, in 2010, and earned a C+.

Raising the school fees was an uphill battle for my father. He was jobless and sometimes opted to do manual labor, in which he earned very little. Therefore, he used to live from hand to mouth, due to hard economic times during those days.

This motivated me to work even harder in school, and I really challenged myself, so that one day I would open my own business and start supporting my father and some of the community at large.

My desire for education did not end after high school, though, so I got trained in computer applications (certificate level).

Then, I began working as a casual labourer in a private firm, and I started collecting the capital needed for my dream business. However, it was never enough, hence my looking for more funding.

I am blessed to have two adopted orphans. Currently, in 2020, they are ages 10 and 14.

I adopted them in 2019. They both rely on me for all of their basic needs.

My unique hobby is that I build electronics (for example, robots).

My business is a sole proprietorship. I provide cybercafé services, electronics, and related online content as per the clients' needs/demands.

I have been doing this business since 2018.

Currently, in 2020, my typical cost is about Ksh. 78,000, and I expect my profit to be about Ksh. 50,000. I will use my profit to support the two orphans I adopted, and to help fund business projects for the less-fortunate in society.

To start an Internet café, all I needed were the following items:

• Client computers

• Internet connection (ADSL, Cable, etc.)

• Networking hardware

• Server computer that controls the client computers

My father once told me that the secret to succeeding in this business lies in diversification. Gone are the days when customers seeking Internet services were the backbone of cybercafé firms. Therefore, I am intending to add a wide array of services to my cybercafé, in order to attract many more customers, walk-ins and others.

Some examples of add-on services include:

• Computer Training (particularly in rural areas)

• Graphic Design and Printing of Promotional Materials

• Image Printing (from clients' mobile phones and memory cards)

• Instant Passport Photo-taking and Printing

• I.T. Services

• Mobile-Money Agencies

- (for Airtel Money, Cooperative Bank, Equity Bank, KCB Bank, M-Pesa, etc.)

• Photocopying

• Snacks and Soft Drinks

• Typing and Proofreading

• Video Games

A well-run cybercafé, with at least four computers, and with added services (such as those listed above), can rake in up to Ksh. 750,000 per year. So, I am really yearning for funding.

I would use the loan to buy a heavy, commercial printer for my cybercafé. A brand-new one goes for a minimum of Ksh. 165,000. This machine would increase efficiency with a faster speed needed to boost my sales margin. That would be a major turning point for my cybercafé, to be a prime one to attract a lot of clients.