When 26-year-old Brian opened his small kibanda in the corner of a dusty street in Kisumu, most people thought it would close within a month. The wooden structure barely stood against the wind, and his first stock of tomatoes, onions, and cabbages fit into one sack. His friends mocked him, saying he was wasting time when others were looking for “real” jobs in town. But Brian had a dream to build something sustainable that could one day support others too.
At first, business was painfully slow. Some days he went home with nothing but unsold vegetables and aching feet. He almost gave up when thieves broke into his kibanda one night and stole all his stock. But instead of giving in to frustration, he decided to push harder. He borrowed a little money from a friend, restocked, and started waking up earlier to catch the morning market crowd. He also learned how to speak kindly to customers and offer them credit when they were short on cash. Slowly, people began to trust him.…CONTINUE READING
