By Mangoa Mosota
He is on his knees and in deep concentration. His fingers work meticulously on his client.
With a piece of cotton, he removes dirt on the toes and applies a blue undercoat.
After a few minutes, the client selects her nail polish colour.
Mr Sammy Otieno then applies it on the middle-aged woman’s nails.
After five minutes, a bespectacled Otieno stands up with a smile on his face, with a broader one from his customer, apparently satisfied with the services.
Meet Otieno, who is among five young men at Oile Market, Kisumu earning a living through making women’s toes presentable.
Mr Polycarp Omondi explains how the pedicure business works at Oile Market in Kisumu |
With the rate of unemployment going up the roof, the young men are fighting it in a unique way.
Lack of jobs
A report by the United Nations Development Fund (UNDF) indicates that youth aged 13 to 35 add up to about 13 million, and comprise 61 per cent of unemployed Kenyans.
In Kisumu, both young and old women visit Oile Market seeking Otieno and his colleagues’ services, in open shops.
"The job is hard but the outcome is beautiful. Some people think only women should engage in this kind of business, but we are enjoying it," says Otieno.
Despite the ‘parlours’ being situated in the open, where clients place their feet on their shoes, even working-class women queue to have their toes spruced.
In addition, there are diverse traders, selling commodities ranging from food to second-hand clothes to beauty products.
A customer, Ms Pauline Auma, says Otieno has been applying nail polish on her toes for the last one year.
"His work is very fine. The polish stays for more than two weeks before it starts peeling off," she tells The Standard.
Otieno, 27, says the pedicure comprises three types of beautification; filing, applying nail polish (plain) and decoration.
"Filing takes about five minutes, while to decorate the toes requires about 15 minutes," he explains.
He adds: "There are over 50 decoration styles, such as flowers and inscription of words like ‘Jesus Loves You".
He says filing and application of nail polish costs Sh30, while decoration ranges from Sh50 to Sh200.
Your choice
The decoration designs are displayed on a board, to enable clients choose their preferred colour and style.
His colleague, Mr Sammy Otieno applies nail polish on a customer’s toes. [PHOTOS: JAMES KEYI/STANDARD] |
Otieno hails from Alendu, about five kilometres from the lakeside town, and acquired his skills through a five-month apprenticeship from a friend.
Mr Polycarp Omondi, 27, says he has been running the pedicure venture for the last five years.
Like Otieno, Omondi learned the ropes of the trade through apprenticeship.
"My elder brother taught me the pedicure skills, and it took me about five months to operate on my own," he says.
The five men have teamed up with second-hand clothes sellers to form the Merian Group, through which they are plan to borrow money from the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF).
"We plan to seek Sh100,000 to expand our ventures, for example, through putting up shades," says Omondi.
Conceived by the Government in June 2006, YEDF is touted as an effective strategy of tackling unemployment.
Otieno, who dropped out school at Standard Five in 1997, due to lack of fees, says: "One of my trainees has raised enough money and gone back to school, while another one is currently operating in Migori town."
The returns, he says are promising for anyone who is patient and dedicated to his work.
He says he is presently saving some money to put up a house at his rural home in Sindindi, Bondo District, later this year.
The second-born in a family of six, says he supports his family financially.
He says there are about ten customers who he offers services on credit. The clients then pay at the end of the month.
Tough challenges
He says the returns have been boosted by low-cost of nail polish. They, however, face a number of challenges. They each pay Sh20 ticket fee daily.
Besides, they hire about five seats daily for their clients. Hiring of each of the plastic seats cost Sh10.
There is also competition from mobile dealers, who provide services by looking for clients in residential areas.
"They provide cheaper services, as they do not pay any levies. They also use cheaper products," says Mike Obok.
