My names are pastor Luke Gitonga. I am forty years old of age, I was born in Mikuyu village in Chuka county. I schooled at Tomekua primary school later joined Kanjuki Boys High school where I attained O-levels and after passing my final exams I was admitted at jomo Kenyatta University For a diploma in sales and marketing. Having completed my Diploma am now pursuing my degree in theology at International Gospel Outreach in Thika town where am at the third year distance learning. I am born again christian currently serving as an assistance pastor with Christian outreach church . I am married to one wife named Racheal Kagendo and we are blessed with two boys.
Namely Victor mureithi and Emanuel mutugi aged 6 and 1 year respectively . I m a third born to a family of six children two girls and four boys my parents are retired teachers currently working in their farm at Chuka county. We are from meru a tribe in kenya
I reside at Thika town which is located at Kiambu County, Makongeni estate phase 9 plot number 53.
Currently am working at Thika town as sales representative man in a Thika Chemist Pharmaceutical shops which is located Kwameh Nkrhuma Road opposite Housing Finance Bank. During weekends and and evening hours after my full time job I operate at my own studio at Makongeni shopping Centre near Kamenu stage, this is a busy populated area, which is a town center near my home area where I live. I specialize in printing, photocopying and taking photographs and also printing other people’s photo. The reason why I choose to start this business it is because in my estate no one owned a camera and the only nearest person the estate dwellers depended on was a person who resided some miles away from my home place. It is through this part time job that I have been in a position to educate my first born at kindergarten .and also has enabled me to support my mother at village who is jobless who relies on me.
About my business I operate a small studio in makongeni kamenu estate where I specialize in taking photos printing and photocopying using the small printing machine. I operate the business during my off duties and during evenings . my vision is to buy another camera and also to employ another person who will be staying there full time when iam on duty.That area is avery potential place for the kind of business for there are no such activities around and the nearest person of the kind is amile away.The full time worker will help me a lot especially in taking photographs for most of the my clients are the house helps who are free most of the day and matatu operators being in one of the stages of the main town.The revenue i got from this business is like 2 to 4 dollars a day though to some days it is abit low but on holidays and weekends it can go up to 5and 6 dollars . I use the profit mostly for my family education, there before i was using for tuition for the college ,but since i graduated on january now i would like to save some for the expansion of the business.
The photo taking business is taking another turn in our times with the introduction of phones and computers the Camera photography is becoming insist as the days goes ,but for us photography people we also have to come along with the changing technologies in our times .With the help i got from the last loans i have been able to purchase a Motorcycle which as been very helpful in this business however some other challenges have come on for carrying the machines and the printers especially on the extreme weather it has become another challenge. So together with my team we have decided if we can have a van like a station wagon however small can minimize our hardship for all ,and still we will be able to cover more events per day.Still a van will be an added advantage for still we can shall be using for the transporting of cakes in my other line of business i opened for my wife ,of Cakes baking and accessories. She bakes cakes for occasions like wedding, birthdays. baby sowers cerebration and many more others ,and so our works will be made a lot easier when im covering the occasions with the Camera on the other hand she will there also for the Cakes.
I have been able to do a check of how much it will cost, a second hand probox will cost around 3500 dollars , and so with the loan i will get will be able to look for the reminder from my savings to be able to cover the deficit. The van will also be used as a tax when it is not in occasions so will also generate income for us.The Cakes business is also peaking up and so it will be an income project. For the three areas i have earmarked im expecting around a profit of 30 dollars per day with the same going up on weekends and holidays, estimating each to generate around 10 dollars a day.