For the past two years, Mohamed Kofa, 24, from Madogo in Tana River County, has earned a living selling soft drinks in buses plying the Nairobi-Hola road. He is part of the Madogo Youth Junction Hawkers Group, who decided to form a welfare group to advance their businesses.
He was unable to raise the capital on his own so he approached wholesalers who supplied him with goods. He promised to pay them at the end of the day. “After Form Four, I realised I needed to generate my own income. Our county is dry and can hardly support any agricultural activity. I decided to approach established retailers who agreed to supply me as long as I paid at the end of the day. I have an arrangement with the bus drivers who allow me to hawk my wares. Sales are often good because Tana River is hot and travellers need to quench their thirst,” says Kofa.
WORK HARD AT SOMETHING
He initially made Sh300 a day but now comfortably manages a profit of Sh1,000 by evening. He explained, “Although the initial profits discouraged me, I held on because I had no option and I knew I had to work hard to get something.
“Though some of the money is used to support my poor parents, I ensure I save a substantial amount. I have a dream of establishing a wholesale where I can employ fellow youth. Most of them require a little funding to establish their businesses.’’
The youth group has a joint bank account where members pool resources for future investment.
“We ensure each member deposits Sh500 in the account at the end of each week. We intend to start a large wholesale where youth can get supplies for their businesses.
That way, we can empower many young people struggling to do business. From the weekly contributions, we foresee our dream coming to fruition early next year,” he says.
