Juggling between classes and hawking to make ends meet

Who is Susan Kariuki?

I am a 22-year-old hardworking lady who follows her dreams. I am quite reserved and artistic. I am also a go-getter striving to achieve the best in life.

How does you start your day?

My day starts at 6.30am. I do my meditation and visualise on what I want to achieve by the end of the day. Since I am a student, I attend morning classes if I have any and then attend to my other duties.

What does your 8am-5pm work involve?

I assist in research in several companies and I am also a student pursuing Tourism Management at Maasai Mara University. I juggle between classes, library and making my products. This is also the time I source for ideal fabrics to use.

What is your ‘After 5’ business about?  -

I market and sell my household accessories which include table mats, pan holders and toilet paper organizers. I also distribute them to various gift shops and deliver orders to my clients.

How did you get started?

Since I was a young girl I have always had a passion for fabrics and sewing. So, early last year I decided to play around with animal print fabrics to create table mats.

At first I did some for my mother then I decided to start selling these mats. They are stylish and eco-friendly because they are non-plastic.

I had always hoped to start a business which is in my line of my career and since conservation of wildlife is so crucial in the tourism industry in Kenya,  I was determined to use animal print as my signature fabric.

 I believe it creates awareness of the need to conserve our wildlife and culture. Instead of using real animal skin which results from poaching, why not just use animal print fabric.

I hence created ‘Casa de AfriQue’ which is a Spanish-French phrase that translates to ‘House of Africa’. I have  grown and increased the range of products I offer to functional accessories such as  pan holders and toilet paper organisers. I also customise them according to the theme colour of ones’ home or desired taste.

Who are your key clients and how do you market your stuff?

My clients include homemakers who want to decorate their homes, hotels and also tourists who want to carry souvenirs from Kenya.

I market my products online or by  word of mouth has also played a major role in growing my business. On various occasions, I display my products in exhibitions.

What have been your challenges so far?

Insecurity in the country has caused the number of foreign visitors to decrease and since they are majority of my clientele, it has had a negative effect on my business.

Another challenge is juggling between my two hustles and studying. It has proved to be quite a hurdle because I seem not strike the art of balance between the two.

What is the biggest lesson you have learnt so far?

I have learnt that God blesses the work of your hands and you got to trust your gut.  

Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

In the near future I should be exporting household products and décor and be able to create employment to my fellow youth in Kenya.

What is your main inspiration?

I am inspired by great women who have worked hard to create wealth for generations to come and leave a legacy in this world.

What also inspires me is to live in a world filled with beauty, making it beautiful by the colourful eco-friendly things we add so that the future generations can enjoy them too.

Parting Shot

Follow your passion. Get out of your comfort zone. Don’t keep on procrastinating things. Whatever positive you want to do in this life, start it now.

bizbeat@standardmedia.co.ke