Just from Sh. 500 as starting capital, Millicent Akinyi is blazing the trail in the male-dominated world of the customization market. Through her skills she has been able to nurture patience to raise both her passion and her children.
Operating from a small working area at Bulanda Junction in Busia Town, Akinyi uses different business aesthetics to kick start her business, winning both the confidence of her clients and trust to keep up with competition.
Her day starts at 8a.m and does not end until around 7:15p.m, come rain or shine. She has to overcome different obstacles to fulfill her dream. Even though the start of business for Akinyi was not easy, today her business is doing well and she plans to expand and train more ladies to work alongside her.
“I love Akinyi’s work because we have other women whose work is only to sit at home and depend on their husbands but for her, she strains to make money at least to have some amount at hand,’’ says Kennedy Ouma, her customer at Bulanda junction.
Very passionate about the ruling coalition Kenya Kwanza slogan “kazi ni Kazi” (whatever work is work) Akinyi has slowly won her customers’ heart in the shoe-making industry based on her honesty, unique designs and how passionate she takes her job.
“I have been doing this Shoe-making job for quite some time now, this job has given me economic freedom and empowered me to turn around my family status,’’ she narrated.
The key to her success did not come from a technological innovation to boost productivity but mastering the skills from a neighbor who was a cobbler but was alcoholic. He only trained her few basics on shoe making.
“I admired his work and wondered if I could also make shoes. He was the only cobbler in the village, and then I requested him to teach me how to mend shoes. He gave me the basics,” added Akinyi.
Her biggest hope now is the government-promised Hustlers’ Fund that aims at cushioning SMEs as she believes the government will be able to promote local manufacturing to increase revenue as well as making life better for entrepreneurial people at the bottom of the social pyramid better known in Kenya as hustlers.
The art of shoe-making and shining has enabled her to educate her children upto college level. “I love my work because it has enabled me to educate some of my children at different levels and have the last born in class eight,” says Akinyi.
With growing numbers of people in Busia who are struggling to match unreachable ideals. Many have ventured in smuggling of goods from Uganda to match their life expectations, she refused to buy that narrative of shortcut but rather use her skills to better her life.
Like any other trade, Akinyi’s business is not without challenges. Since he operates in an open space, she says heavy rainfall and too much sunshine damage her shoes.
“Whenever it rains, I have to pack the shoes in a sack and wait until it stops. Too much sunshine on the other hand makes me uncomfortable because I sweat a lot while working,” she explains.
Even though Akinyi goes through various challenges, she is able to handle different customers at their own pace. She says other customers may take time to come for their shoes and others take time to pay money for the service but after a period of time the person shows up and clears the balance.
She now appeals to the county government of Busia to provide a business-enabling environment that will see the thriving of all businesses and give fair competition on the market.
“You need to get modern and strong buckles so that you do not disappoint your clients. Getting the right leather from a tannery is also a problem hence she is calling for the government to allocate more resources into the leather industry,” said Akinyi.