AM VENESA SAMBA MWANGEMI AND MY BACKGROUND HISTORY HAS NOT CHANGED MUCH. I WAS BORN IN MBOLOLO, VOI CONSTITUENCY TAITA TAVETA COUNTY. AM MARRIED TO A LOVING HUSBAND MCHARO MWALUGHA AND BLESSED WITH FIVE CHILDREN SURVIVING 3 GIRLS AND 1 BOY HOWEVER ONE PASSED ON. ONE CHILD IS IN COLLEGE, ONE IN SECONDARY SCHOOL, TWO IN PRIMARY SCHOOL. I SCHOOLED IN TAITA BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL THERE AFTER STARTED SERVING AT THE LOCAL CHURCH FOR A LONG TIME. LATER ON IN 1993 I MOVED TO KILIFI TOWN NEAR MOMBASA 70 KILOMETERES NORTH OF MOMBASA. THIS IS WHERE I GOT MARRIED TO MY HUSBAND MCHARO. IN KILIFI I WAS DOING BUSINESSES THAT STARTED WITH SMALL MERCHANDISE LIKE CLOTHES, UTENSILS WHERE I BOUGHT AND SOLD TO LOCALS THERE. I CONTINUED DOING THE BUSINESS UNTIL I RELOCATED TO TAITA WHERE I CONTINUED WITH THE BUSINESS AS I BROUGHT UP MY CHILDREN AFTER MY HUSBAND WAS TRANSFERRED TO TAITA. I AM STILL IN TAITA TO DATE DOING MY BUSINESSES AND TAKING CARE OF MY CHILDREN. WE HAVE A STRONG FAMILY TIE AND VERY SUPPORTIVE OF MY ACTIVITIES. WHILE IN SCHOOL AT MY EARLY AGE WE USED TO WALK LONG DISTANCES TO SCHOOL AND DID A LOT OF MANUAL ACTIVITIES UNDER THE HOT SUN MAKING ME HARDY TO OVERCOME ANY STRESSFUL SITUATION. THIS ALONGSIDE DOMESTIC CHORES THAT WE WERE ASSIGNED BY PARENTS MADE ME SHAPE UP INTO A GOOD WELL ADAPTED WOMAN WHO COULD ENDURE ALL KINDS OF SITUATIONS. MY PARENTS THOUGH PASSED ON REALLY BROUGHT US UP AS GOD FEARING SOMETHING THAT BUILD STRONG FAITH IN ME AND BECOME TRUSTWORTHY AS A HUMAN BEING AND SO A GOOD MOTHER. THESE ATTRIBUTES HAVE HELPED ME A LOT IN BUSINESS AND IN LIFE AS BEING STRAIGHT FORWARD AND HONEST IS ONE WAY YOU CAN WIN TRUST OF YOUR FRIENDS AND EVEN PARTNERS IN A BUSINESS GROUP. THIS HAS HELPED ME A LOT AND I DON’T THINK I WILL EVER CHANGE. THIS IS AN ASSURANCE TO ZIDISHA PARTNERS THAT I WILL REMAIN FAITHFUL TO OUR COURSE AND OBJECTIVES.

tHE EARLY PART OF MY BUSINESS HISTORY REMAINS SAME. I STARTED MY BUSINESSES WAY BACK IN 1993 WHEN I WENT TO KILFI FROM TAITA AFTER MY SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION AND SOME SERVICE TO THE LOCAL CHURCH IN TAITA. IN KILFI I STARTED WITH SMALL MERCHANDISE OF SELLING LADIES UNDERWEARS WITH THE INITIAL CAPITAL COMING FROM SOME CASUAL WORKS THAT I WAS DOING AT THE NEARBY GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION. LATER MY HUSBAND SUPPORTED ME WITH SOME CASH WHERE I EXPANDED TO OTHER CLOTHES AND DOMESTIC UTENSILS. THE BUSINESS WENT ON WELL AND EXPANDED TO CLOTHES BOTH OLD AND NEW LATER TO FOOD STUFF UNTIL I LEFT KILIFI FOR TAITA WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS TRANSFERRED. I CONTINUED WITH THE BUSINESS IN TAITA AND DIVERSIFED TO SELLING VEGETABLES AND FRUITS FROM TAITA TO MOMBASA AND KILIFI. I EXPANDED USING SMALL LOANS FROM GROUPS AND MERRY GO ROUNDS. MY BUSINESSES WENT DOWN WHEN I HAD A SICK CHILD WHO ,LATER PASSED ON. BUT LATER PICKED THE PIECES AGAIN AND STARTED THE BUYING OF HANDBAGS, SOME CLOTHES FROM TAVETA NAD SELLING IN TAITA. I HAVE NOW A GENERAL MERCHANDISE SHOP THAT IS IN MY PROFILE WHERE I HAVE EMPLOYED 3 PEOPLE BECAUSE IT HAS A HOTEL WING SIDE BY SIDE. I ALSO HAVE STARTED AN M PESA OUTLET THAT I INTEND TO STRENGTHEN. MY DREAM IS TO EXPAND TO BE AN IMPORTER OF CLOTHES, HANDBAGS AND OTHER PRODUCTS AND BECOME A LARGE WHOLE SALER FOR DIFFERENT MERCHANDISE AND ALSO TRAVEL ABROAD TO PURCHASE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS. LATER HAVE TRUCKS FOR SELLING THE PRODUCTS AND HAVE A BIG COMPANY UNDER VENESA THAT WILL EMPLOY MANY PEOPLE AND HAVE MANY BRANCHES. I HAD TAKEN A ZIDISHA LOAN THAT I REPAID SUCCESSFULLY AND TOOK A SECOND ONE THAT I JUST FINISHED PAYING. I NOW HAVE A GENERAL SHOP AT A STRATEGIC SITE IN WUNDANYI TOWN. I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING ENOUGH MONEY TO DEPOSIT WITH SAFARICOM SO AS TO INCREASE MY DIVIDENDS. I CHOSE THIS GENERAL MERCHANDISE SHOP BECAUSE THE SITE IS STRATEGIC AT THE BUS STAGE HENCE EXPECT MANY CUSTOMERS FOR PRODUCTS AND M PESA. AM ALSO PUTTING UP A FOOD KIOSK IN A NEW MARKET IN THE SAME TOWN WHICH AM OPENING IN DECEMBER BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

COSTS THAT GO INTO THE BUSINESS ARE PURCHASE OF MATERIALS, PAYMENT OF EMPLOYEES, LICENCES, RENT, ETC. THESE COSTS RUN TO ABOUT KSH 40,000 PER MONTH. THE REVENUE PER MONTH FOR NOW IS AROUND KSH 50,000 WHICH I WANT TO IMPROVE TO 70,000. THE PROFITS I PLOUGH BACK TO BUSINESS, HOME IMPROVEMENT AND ASSIST MY HUSBAND IN CHILDREN EDUCATION AND OTHER FAMILY DEMANDS.

FOR THE NEW LOAN I WANT TO EXPAND MY GENERAL SHOP BUSINESS IN WUNDANYI TOWN AND SUPPORT MY NEW HOTEL BUSINESS IN THE NEW MARKET AS WELL AS SUPPORT AN M PESA OUTLET TOO. I THANK ZIDISHA FOR THE SUPPORT.

VENESA

I WILL INCREASE MY STOCK AND PREPARE THE SHOP FOR THE PROPOSED M PESA UNIT THAT WILL BE BRINGING AN INCOME OF AT LEAST 9000 PER MONTH. SOME 3000 WILL BE INVESTED IN THE FOOD SHOP TO EXPAND CAPACITY TO PROVIDE TAKE AWAY FOOD SERVICES TO MORE CUSTOMERS.