I am the 6th born in a family of nine siblings of whom six are alive that is four gentlemen and two ladies. My father was a cobler in the city - Nairobi but later changed to be a peasant farmer in the country side Koru. My mother was a fish monger till she got involved in a grisly road accident in 1978 and was the only survivor. My dad died three years later when I was 11years. She was to live with disability for 19 years upto 1997 when she died. From her I picked up one thing that business was the only sure way to make it through if formal employment was not coming forth. I have been on and off temp jobs and self employment.
I have five children three boys and two girls. The elder boy and his follower have the desire of making it big in business and thus the need to set the business rolling before they finish school.
My business involve selling and distribution of packaging materials to kiosks/shops and vegetable vendors. However the barn on polythene affected my operation for a short duration. The new packaging materials have even proven to be very good and environment friendly. The demand for this is very high. I need to expand to a level where I am able to wholesale. I have been able to undertake to wholesaling of the products and even intend to expand further. The profit is between 20% to 30% gross depending on distance of distribution. At the moment I am reinvesting the revenue collected in order to expand the business and even get to merchandise other products. My long term objective is to be able to meet the educational needs of my children besides meeting family needs and growing to big shop merchandise.
I am glad to put it I got a partial loan which I paid before schedule. I did apply again but was not funfed . I do have an intention of adding new stock and paying the school for my sons in form three and one and my daughters in class one and eight. I also have an elder son who sat his KCSE and is meant to join college this year 2018. Also uploaded is my last born daughter who joined class one at the Catholic Parochial primary school in Nairobi and my son who joined form one. The fee for term two and three for all of them is about $330.
Considering that I am able to make close to 30% profit I should be able to pay up this loan within its term. From November 2015 to date my volume sales has increased from $40 to $120 per day which translates to $840 a week from $280 per week. With the increase in amount of funding I expect to do even much better. This increased volume in sales will also improve the standard of living of my family and also be able to meet the basic needs of my children's education.
Through zidisha I have been able to venture into farming, And I now have one and half acre land coverage of beans. On the same strength I have been able to play major social rolls in my community through the contribution of funeral, wedding activities amongst others. I feel empowered.
I intend to purchase the following for my business
Item Size Quantity Unit Cost ($) Total cost ($)
w - cut 18 2000 0.05 100
w - cut 20 500 0.07 35
w - cut 22 500 0.08 40
w - cut 25 500 0.15 75
D - cut small 500 0.05 25
D - cut Medium 500 0.1 50
D - cut large 500 0.2 100
TOTAL 425
The balance I will use in paying the School fee for my sons and daughter. Of which the bulk amount will go into payment of my daughter's whom I have taken to Catholic Parochial School for grade one. I will also top the difference from sales of my current stock which in itself is rolling.