My name is Alexander Peter Omondi, I am married and blessed with one child. I live in Lang'ata estate in Nairobi. I am a business man running a cyber cafe and a training centre in computer application packages. I got the passion for business after completing my high school education as my parents were not able to send me to college. I started by selling wares as a merchandiser, from which I grew contacts, later on I started a stationery supplies business selling to small offices. While in supplies, I struggled a lot with communicating with my clients, since where I had my office there was neither internet nor email services, not even a cyber cafe. This meant I had to walk quite far to get these services in order to send quotations to my customers and receive my orders.
It is out of this that the idea of starting a cyber cafe came to mind, I saw a new business opportunity. However, with that in mind, I had only one computer which I was using in my office, so I decided to get a place around my office where I could start off by offering secretarial services and printing. Luckily someone offered me a small place in her shop where I set up to offer the services .This was in 2005. Since then, I have always saved and used the money I earn to buy more computers. To date this has enabled me to buy 6 computers, which I am now using to run a small cyber cafe.
It is said that too much work without play makes Tom a dull boy, so during my free time I try to mentor and encourage young entrepreneurs in their businesses through Kenya Youth Business Trust. I also like watching rugby and soccer, besides swimming, going for game drives, listening and dancing to gospel and Lingala music.
The cyber café has helped me earn an independent living in Nairobi since 2005. Being the only cyber cafe in the area, I enjoy the monopoly given that my prices are also fair. I offer various services including: photocopying, scanning, typing, printing and stationery. I earn an average of $ 900 per month from which I pay a full time employee I work with and my bills amounting to $350. I have also been able to join the university and acquire knowledge in business management with the money I earn with my cyber café. I finished my degree program in October 2014.
Through the training institute that I started, I am now able to impart knowledge to young people who have just finished school and are awaiting their results to join other colleges. I also offer free computer training to youths in the slum of Kibera every Saturday at the Kibera Open Learning Centre, an institution that strives to rehabilitate youths who are drug addicts. Currently, I use 3 of the computers in the cyber café to train, I have to carry them every Saturday to Kibera to train 20 students at a sitting, since the distance from my cyber cafe to the school is too far. If I had 12 computers it would enable me to open up a bigger class to accommodate more students for the training and expand my cyber cafe, which currently has 6 computers.
Thank you Zidisha lenders for the loan you gave me in August 2014, it enabled me to buy an additional CPU and 6 keyboards. I now have 4 computers in the class for training which also double up as client computers in the cyber café when there is no class going on. Through the training lessons I give in computer application packages, I am able to earn an extra income. I also offer free computer training to the youths undergoing rehabilitation from drug addiction at the Kibera Open Learning Centre every Saturday. This is a way to help them gain some skills that can be meaningful in life, it is my way of giving back to the society. Currently I am able to train 20 students per sitting, with 5 students sharing one computer, since I have added one more computer with the previous loan. However, I still need more computers to reduce the number of students sharing one computer to at least 2 students per computer. Ideally it would be wonderful to have one computer per student in order to offer more quality training and reduce the time one class takes to complete one package as well. This would require about $ 1900.
It is my humble request that you help me raise the Kshs 25,890.00 which is my current credit limit to enable me to continue this noble journey as I also increase my income and improve my business. I intend to buy these computers with the funds I receive from you lenders as well as with the income I earn with my business. This way, I believe I will achieve this goal. Thank you.