In the sprawling Highrise Estate in Nairobi, Clinton Chasimba is busy at his salon; meticulously washing women’s hair, braiding and undertaking other forms of beauty treatments with a smile of satisfaction on his face.
Two years ago, Mr Chasimba would never have dreamt of owning his own salon. He was just a young, unemployed man walking the streets of Nairobi with only a dream of one day owning his own business.
That is until he met a friend, who introduced him to the KCB 2Jiajiri programme. The chance meeting has now transformed his life.
“That day we walked up to the KCB Foundation offices and as they say, the rest is history. Through the 2Jiajiri programme, I was enrolled at Vera Beauty College in 2023 where I graduated with a certificate in hairdressing. Later, I was able to start my own salon. Now, I am not only a business owner, but an employer as well,” Chasimba said in an interview with The Standard.
He has now been able to employer one person – a lady – who helps him handle the many clients who troop to the salon especially in the evening after work.
The KCB Foundation's 2Jiajiri program aims to create employment opportunities for young people by developing their skills and providing access to finance. The program focuses on the informal sector, with a goal of formalizing microenterprises and growing them into businesses that can employ others.
Chasimba stressed that one of the most important platforms the programme helped him with, is training him on business skills.
“Before joining the programme, it was difficult for me to operate books of accounts. Simple business skills such as bookkeeping, handling revenues and expenditure were difficult for me. But through the programme I have now become adept in these skills,” he averred.
Suffice to say no business can survive without a proper marketing strategy no matter how small or big it is.
And that is the situation that Chasimba found himself in.
“I honestly never knew about marketing before I joined the KCB 2Jiajiri. Now I have learned that as a business owner, marketing will help you push borders for your business to levels that will grow it and give it financial security. Marketing is a skill that every business owner must have,” Chasimba says.
At the same time, he has been able to network with other business through the KCB 2Jiajiri programme, something that has exposed him to many other opportunities.
“Now I can even train other business owners. The programme has given me confidence and abilities that I intend to the benefit of others even as I help myself,” Chasimba concludes.
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