Two friends, united by poverty, raised Sh20,000 ten years ago to start fruits business. Today, they are multi-millionaires
According to a report by the guardian in March 2016, 35% of Kenyan youths face the nightmare of unemployment. Also, 80% of the unemployed are below the age of 35 years. Titus Shirandula and Mishogi Kamau lay in this category some 20 years ago. They ‘tarmacked’ for long after college before they opted to do business.
Shirandula and Kamau trace the history of their success back in 1994 when they met in Nairobi and lived as neighbours in the slums of Mukuru Kayaba, South ‘B’. Shirandula had completed his secretariat studies while Kamau had just cleared a driving course. Both had hoped to get good collar jobs in Nairobi, just as many college leavers aspire. However, luck was not on their side. Instead, when life became unbearable they fell into mjengo (building and construction) as casuals. After a while they could not withstand the hardships.
Shirandula remembers how poverty had united them into friendship as they sat together after work every evening to console each other. The meetings became the mother of their today’s thriving business. They saw the potential of success in business hence struck a deal to start a partnership business. Unfortunately, they lacked the capital to start, since their meagre income was all spent on paying rent and survival. They had to do something despite the challenge. This saw Shirandula sell the only family cow they had at home as Kamau raised some cash from coffee sales. Together, they raised Ksh20,000.
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They had a number of business ideas, though after consulting with a friend, Richard Kamau, the duo opted to start a fruit stall at South ‘B’ near Belle vue. Their main target was middle class people living in or visiting South ‘B’. They stocked mangoes, watermelons, pineapples, bananas, oranges, apples, passion fruits, grapes, pawpaws, thorn fruit, avocados, among others which they have maintained to date. The business offered a natural and more nutritious option in place of artificial fruit juice, attracting more health conscious customers.
With continued effort and zeal the business has grown from a net worth of Ksh20,000 to Ksh 300,000. This success is attributed to other 10 friends who joined them later to make it a total of 12 partners. They have since opened four branches and employed nine youths to work within the stalls. One of their biggest achievement is buying two lorries and one saloon car to ease their operations.
Shirandula narrates how he has been able to support his family at the same time educating his children. His first born is in his fourth form. Kamau’s first born is awaiting to join college. Shirandula swears that he can’t be employed since he discovered the joy and benefit of business. He states that the business gives him money and enough freedom and time for his family.
“I am independent, well off like any other working class and the most important of all I get enough time with my family,” he said. “I may term this as the dream of my life, to be self reliant. I depend on my customers only not any cruel and demanding boss. My customers are good and the best I get from them is socialisation and new ideas.”
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He remembers one time selling fruits to opposition leader Hon Raila Odinga. “Here I get to meet all kinds of people. What else could a person of my class need?”exclaims Shirandula.
To them challenges in business is what makes it grow and a good genesis of new ideas. Competition, fluctuation of demand and supply, changes in weather, lack of refrigeration facilities are some of the major challenges they face. They call upon the county government to ease the licensing process.
Their challenge goes to the youth and other people looking for white collar jobs. “Do not despise what you do. If you don’t get employed based on what you studied, do not waste time. Get something to do; start something to benefit you. Do not stay idle. The job market will not always be ready to absorb everyone who finishes school. You can be an employer only if you take the initiative. Life will not always be fair to you, but you can always be fair to yourself, and to others,” says Kamau.
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