KAKAMEGA: "I dropped out of school while in class eight but that does not mean I cannot earn a living through my talent and skills. Many young people rely on white collar jobs instead of relying on self-empowerment to earn a living," says Felix Matunda as he takes us inside his tiny office in Kakamega.
Inside the office, it would appear to the casual observer as though its occupants are playing with pendulum swings but for Matunda and his two colleagues Carolyne Ingosi and Ferdinand Katoti, this is how they earn a living.
The 'pendulums' are manual hand loom weaving devices which the trio use to make cotton fabric. This fabric is then used to make clothes, floor mats and other products that have attracted customers not only from Kenya but across the globe.
"We have customers from India, Cameroon and other parts of the world who come for our fabric products," Matunda says.
Forced to drop out of school after class eight in 2002, Matunda found himself at home with nothing to do. Years later, he attended a workshop in Shinyalu organised by Maendeleo ya Wanawake where he learnt how to weave.
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"My friends and peers mocked me for attending a women's event saying I was taking up a job meant for women but I did not yield to their pressure. I went through the two-week training in 2008 and even offered to train my colleagues on what I had learnt," he says.
The training helped him set up his own business and as it grew, he got invitations to showcase his talent and skills at various events. Today, Matunda makes various items from uniforms for institutions, attires for weddings, bands and politicians to doormats, shawls, scarfs and other items on order.
"My biggest break was when I got to attend an exhibition day organised at Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega during the Women Enterprise Development Fund launch that attracted a number of local and international exhibitors. It gave me a chance to interact and network with many people," he says.
It was here that he met Bukura College Principal Morris Wambua who took his contact during the exhibition and later linked him to Kenya Institute of Textile in Nairobi which opened a door for him with Kenya Cotton Development Authority (KCDA).
In 2009 when Kenya was reviving her cotton industry, KCDA Western Zone Coordinator Isaac Katialem reached out to Matunda to find out what he can do and even visited Matunda in his rural home.
"After exhibiting at several Agricultural Society of Kenya Shows courtesy of KCDA, together with my workmates I registered our current enterprise called Eden Queen Springs and Weavers which is growing every day," he said.
Because of their activities, Matunda and his group have gone on to win various awards that have granted them recognition from various private organisations and the Ministry of Labor.
They are also about to go into partnership with Kikoi India which has written to them asking to not only partner with them in the business but also in offering training on how to use the hand loom machine.
To expand their business, the team is now working at setting up a branch office in Nairobi which Matunda says is the region that offers the most potential market for their products. They also employ 40 youth in the area as casuals and have opened a branch in Kisumu.
They have also trained various groups and institutions including Chebareria Youth Polytechnic in West Pokot, Ushanga Women Group in Elgeyo Marakwet and Salawa Women Group in Baringo.
An elated Matunda says the business has opened up doors for him to travel and he has so far been to Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania to market their products.
"Although we have encountered some challenges, we are determined to realise our goals. Although I am a class eight leaver, my talent has helped me achieve alot. I have built my house and paid fees for my siblings from here," he says.
