My name is Patrick Njore born in 1971 in Gakoe – sub -location in Gatundu North Constituency in Kiambu County in Kenya. Attended Ndiko Primary school for my Primary education. Attended my first two years of secondary education at Kikuyu Secondary school and dropped due to lack of school fees. Started working as casual labourer and peasant farmer in our village and after 4 years I had saved enough and started a small retail shop near our neighbor sub-location called Mataara and my older sister assisted me in working in the shop and I joined Mataara secondary school for two years and finished my secondary education and was the first student to qualify in joining a public university.

After secondary education I went on with shop retail business while waiting to join university for two years which I was never admitted because our headmaster never forwarded my name in the list of students to be admitted in the public universities. I decided to go for a driving course and got a driving license to drive heavy commercial vehicles. I started doing driving jobs for some years and realized that driving was not only what I can do and I registered with Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examination board (KASNEB) and started with Kenya Accounting Technician Certificate 1 and in four years I had reached as a private student studying privately for Certified Public Accountants 2 part 4.

I could not continue on my own studying and using my savings I had joined Strathmore University for my CPA 3 Section 5 & 6. I then while doing my CPA 3 section 6 got a government scholarship to study for diploma in teaching accounts at Kenya Technical Teachers College for a 1 year being a full year course which I made it. I went to start teaching first on teaching practice at Kenya Polytechnic but after graduating I could not get posted by Teachers Service commission and left for Tanzania with a neighbor friend from my village who was teaching at one of the best International Schools in Arusha in Tanzania but on passing the interviews I was advised the school cannot employ two people from the same village and the same district as per their international policies from Denmark.

I decided to leave for Dar es salaam where getting a job was very hard as I did not know people there but to survive I got a teaching job in a small commercial college in Dar es Salaam with just a little salary to survive. Then I managed to get another small job in a small hotel in Dar es Salaam and after some three years I got another job with a beach Resort in Dar es Salaam which was paying a bit better.

After three years I got another job with a five star hotel in Dar es Salaam North coast and there I made so many working friends. One of my colleagues came up with an idea we start farming to boast our salaries. He looked for a small farm near Bagamoyo historic town and we did well for the first year. Then my friend advised we look for a bigger farm and start water melon farming and we got a big farm almost 4 acres along river ruvu and we bought water pumps, pipes and tanks and cleared the farm as it was virgin and we employed 4 men to work for us full time in the farm.

The water melons did very well as we were irrigating from the River ruvu and before the water melons were ready for harvest my colleague left working at the Hotel I was working in and joined a billboard advertisement company still based in Tanzania with branches all over Tanzania. When the melons were ready for harvesting my friend went to the farm on some weekdays and they harvested everything in the farm and he paid the men who were working for us and he took with him the water pumps tanks and watering pipes which we had bought for so much money and requested the men to go first and see their families from his home area upcountry. When I went to the farm the weekend we had planned with my other buyers I had looked for we got a shock when we arrived at the farm which was 80km from Dar es Salaam and we found an empty farm with everything gone. I could not believe it even today.

I followed with my friend on what had happened and he advised he heard the men we had employed sold everything and left with everything a blant lie as someone a neighbor advised me he was around when they were harvesting and this way was I lost so much money I had invested in the project but I decided to look forward for another project I can do to get money but this was short lived as problems started on my end.

I started being harassed in Dar es Salaam in my workplace by Tanzania Immigration department on my resident permit issues and my work permit issues as my work permit had expired and it was taking some months to be renewed. My employer requested me and some other 4 Kenyans we were working with to keep off from office until they resolve the work permits issues and we stayed for like 6 months waiting and to our worries we received termination letters via email by our employer advising the new Tanzania regime gave them very strict conditions on issuing work permits to foreigners and I lost my job. I stayed for a full year trying to get a job in Dar es Salaam but every employer you approach will advise yes they have jobs but they were threatened by the government on employing foreigners especially Kenyans. One company director of one of the best resorts in Dar es Salaam advised me to just leave Tanzania and come back to Kenya and look for a job as the government was hesitant on issuing work permits to Kenyans so I decided to come back to Kenya.

As getting a job in Kenya is really a problem I decided to invest in a small eating restaurant with my wife so that she was to work there when I try and look for a job. But after two years down the line I could not get a job and I decided to assist my wife with the work in our business which we are doing even today.

I decided on this business in Kitengela as I saw a very big opportunity in restaurant business in that area of Kaputie area along Namanga road as there was some few house construction going on. The rental shops were cheap and affordable and getting one was very easy.

We started selling cheap meals like Ugali and Sukuma wiki for 50 Kshs the same with rice and Cabbages for 50 Kshs and chapattis for 20Kshs and Tea. We started well and we are now having more customers as the area we started had another like 5 small eating places around and getting our customer share was a real problem.

The big idea that I had in mind when decided on the small restaurant business was because Kitengela has many tribes and foreigners living around that area and as there is so many house construction going on around the area we started business we knew all this communities members and casual workers working on this construction sites is a culture they have to eat something for lunch due to the nature of their work and this culture helped us deciding on our business and we knew this casual workers earned little and could not afford expensive meals and with this we decided on cheap and affordable meals to our customers so that they can also save for their bus fare, food and rent for their families.

As I had the ambitions of becoming a lawyer by profession or an economist I am trying to see what I can do to ensure my children will study hard and help me achieve my dreams as one of them can if God wishes become a lawyer or an economist so that they can help the society in some ways.

My hobbies include listening to Gospel Music, traveling watching football and listening to business related programs on TV. I also like giving free financial consultation to my friends in business using my knowledge I have in accounting and finance.

I came to know of Zindisha from a friend and when I check online I made a decision to join by opening a premium account so that I can start borrowing and expand my business upto the highest level and if possible own one day my hotel or a Resort. Am also planning to become a volunteer with Zindisha in my region and can offer free consultation in future to other Zindisha customers using my knowledge in accounting and finance

We sell in our business simple affordable meals like Ugali with Sukuma or Cabbages or beans, then we also sell rice with beans or Ndengu and for breakfast we sell tea and chapatis or tea with eggs and bread. We are hoping in a new future to increase our food varieties as the area is developing very fast with many people building new houses in their idol plots.

Our few varieties of meals are in demand to the casual workers working on the house construction sites are affordable to them with our breakfast prices being tea only at 20Kshs and a toast of break at also 20 Kshs and a chapatti the same and with cheaper affordable lunch at 50Kshs only. This is affordable to our customers considering their day earnings of from 300Kshs a day eight hours job which they have to budget for their families and pay rents and bus fare.

I decided on this line of business as I had some experience in working in the hotel industry and I knew at what ever cost or means people have to eat at least something in a day irrespective of how much they are earning. Another thing was the initial capital to start a small eating place is not much compared to other lines of business where the capital requirements are very high. Another aspect that made me decide on this business was that in the area am doing business there were few houses around and few people staying there. Also there were cheap shops that were empty and I saw the potential in that area with a near future of having all year round some constructions going on.

Usually the costs of running a small eating place or restaurant is not much as I spend like 8050 Kshs in a week and I can make at least 1000- 1500 Kshs as sales revenue in a day making on average like from 10500 Kshs per week and this way i make some money to sustain my family.

I use the profits I make in my business in paying for my children school fees, pay for my rent and buy food to feed my family. Am hoping with Zindisha loans I can expand my business and open in a new future a small butchery and be selling meat to the customers who are building new house in the area am doing my business and this way I will be making good earnings to expand my business and achieve my ambitions.

Will buy one bail of Maize flour and another bale of Wheat flour which i can use in my hotel in a whole week.. This will save some money as buying in whole sale is cheaper than buy from our shop everyday.