Long-term clienthood does not lead to entrapranuership.  Great training
along with taking risks, flexibility, ambition, and a willingness to stand
behind an idea are all things that create a successful business, as the
article below demonstrates.

kelly







Determination Pays Off For Blind Man

Story Filed: Wednesday, August 25, 1999 8:51 PM EST

Nairobi (The Nation, August 25, 1999) - Mackinon Mwandezi is an inspiration
to other disabled people. Instead of resigning himself to fate and an
object of sympathy, he has become a hero admired by many. The man, who is
partially blind, runs a successful grocery business.

The 26-year-old young man is a graduate of Thika School for the Blind run
by the Salvation Army. He attributes his success to the training he
received at the school. Born in Wamingu Division in Taita Taveta District,
he attended Likoni School for the Blind where he sat for the Kenya
Certificate of Primary Education getting the highest score, 430 marks.
Mwandezi began his primary education in 1986 in class three having skipped
nursery, class one and two simply because he was too bright for those lower
classes. This created a problem for Mwandezi in mastering braille.

Determination saw him overcome the problem and he soon caught up with the
rest of the students. Talking to him now, one gets the feeling of talking
to a wise old man with plenty of business experience behind him. He has and
exudes a passion of an achiever despite the obstacles that might get into
his way. Being the proud owner of the well-stocked Mlachake Kiosk which
deals in cereals, vegetables, fruits, sugar, salt, cooking fat, among
others has not blunted his zeal to excel and do even better. The stock in
his kiosk has increased steadily from Sh6,000, in July last year, to over
Sh15,000.

"When I set out to open the kiosk, I made a promise to myself to succeed,"
he said during the interview in his kiosk. Still single, Mr. Mwandezi says
that with his kind of disability, hands are his most important asset as he
uses them to read and see the world through them. He started his business
last year while he was still teaching at Likoni School for the Blind. "At
the time, my friend John Tenai a teacher at Tudor Day High School
introduced me to Income Generating Programme (IGP), a
non-gorvernmental-organisation which assists people with disabilities to
set up small-scale businesses. At the time, he confessed that he was not
sure the organisation would give him the loan since priority "is usually
given to the most desperate cases. But as things turned out, fate was on my
side and I was given Sh6,000 and started this business at Kisimani in
Kisauni Division."

"I was fortunate to have been considered for the loan," he said adding that
his dream of owning a business had come true. He began with selling cereals
and diversified to other goods. Through constant guiding and counselling,
his business skills have increased and so has his concern for the
satisfaction of his customers. He says he stocks all the most sought-after
items in the area. He has been attending seminars organised by IGP to
expand his business acumen. His entrepreneurship recently won him a
certificate of commendation from the Coast Provincial Commissioner, Mr.
Samuel Limo, who presented him with the award at his kiosk. He completed
repaying his loan in April. He was making a weekly repayment of Sh150.


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