My name is Margaret Wanjiru. I was born in Kiambu County, Kenya on 21st November, 1963. I attended my primary school in Kibubuti Primary School and finished in 1978. I did my O’ levels in Msambweni Secondary School, in the coastal county of Mombasa and managed to finish in 1982. I join a government college in the capital city, Nairobi between the years 1985 and 1987. I graduated after completing my government trade test grade three in dress making and design. I moved to Gilgil (a town in Nakuru County formerly in the Rift Valley), in the year 1989 where I reside to date.

I am a mother to one son. I am also business lady engaging in small scale business of embroidery and dress making. I was employed by multinational company for some time after college to allow me gain the necessary experience. I decided to venture into self employment in the year 2009. This is after I realized that there was a business opportunity in the area of embroidery. Women have always wanted to beautify their homes with nicely embroided mats, table cloths, seat covers and bed covers. Two year later I realized that the business was viable but could not meet the needs of my customers because the I did not have enough capital to inject in my business in order to buy more materials and even better sewing machines and therefore decided to join a local self help group in April 2011 in our home area that assist women in our area of work. The members mainly small business owners like me encouraged me to invest with them through table banking (Saving through collective contribution) in order to qualify for a loan from them.

I am business lady engaging in small scale business of embroidery, dress making and selling second hand duvets. I decided to venture into self-employment in the year 2009. This is after I realized that there was a business opportunity in the area of embroidery and duvets. Women have always wanted to beautify their homes with nicely embroiled mats, table cloths, seat covers and bed covers. I sell an average of one seat cover and two table (seats) cloths per day. I also sell an average of five bed covers per month. I sell seat covers at a cost of Kshs 3,500 each, table cloths at a cost of Kshs 1,500 and bed covers Kshs 3,500.This translates to sales of Kshs 6,500 daily from the sales of seat covers and table cloths. These totals to Kshs 162,500/= monthly. Adding this to the total sales of five bedcovers of kshs 17,500 per month I get Kshs 180,000/=. My cost of production accounts to 75% of the sales. The cost of production amounts to 135,000/=. After subtracting the cost of production am left with Kshs 45,000/=. From this amount I pay rent of kshs 8,000/= per month, pay salaries for my two staff of Kshs 16,500/=. The total expenses come to Kshs 20,000. Am left with a balance of average Kshs 20, 500/=. From the second hand side business, I sell an average of one duvet and a pair of matching bed sheet every week at Kshs 4,000. One bale has a set of 6 (six) pairs of these. This comes to Kshs 24,000. I buy one bale of this at Kshs 19,000. The profit comes to Kshs 5,000.

Thank you for continued support I am planning to improve my business by boosting my second business. The capital will greatly assist me to add the number of bales I buy from one to two per month . I buy one of this bales at USD 190. This will in return double my returns. This will also greatly assist me to reach my customers who currently have increased in number. This will cost me an addition of USD 380. With increased returns it means creation of employment for other people as my business will have increased. The business will run co–currently with my other business, therefore I will only be required to upgrade my current operating business permit obtained from our local county government. My intention is to target my current customers from the embroidery business and new ones with the vicinity