More varieties of patterned cloth for making traditional clothing

Entrepreneur

About Me

I am a 47 Year old Kenyan Lady. I am originally from Western Province but I live and Work in Nairobi. I studied at Tigoi Girls high School and Later went to Kisii Secretarial College. I am also a trained cook. After training, I worked at Shell petrol Station, Kisumu as a pump attendant. I later joined Total Petrol, Kapsabet in the Same Capacity. I then transferred to Total Kenya, Uganda road Eldoret as an Accounts clerk. After Leaving Total, i started a personal Business in which I deal in African Print garments called Kangas (A Famous form of dress in East Africa) and Women's wear. I love my business. I always look for means and ways to make it better. I am a hard-working and focused individual, with personal ambitions and goals to develop myself and at the same help the society that supports me.

My Business

The main focus of my business is dealing in Kangas. These are a form of dressing garb famous in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Somalia. It's an African Imprinted garment that is used to sew dresses, headscarves, skirts and other female clothing used by women allover East Africa. It is also famous in public functions for the messages that are commonly imprinted on them. I source my Kangas from Mombasa Kenya. Most of these Kangas are Manufactured in Tanzanian Textile factories and some Kenyan EPZ (Export Processing Zones) at the coast. I buy a bundle that constitutes 12 Kangas at Ksh. 5000. I then carry and sell each Kanga in Nairobi at between Ksh.500 and Ksh. 600 depending on the bargaining power of the client. Each bundle fetches up to Ksh.2000 profit (approximately 22 USD). To be able to comfortably clear the transport and utility bills that I incur on the journey of bringing the Kanga from Mombasa, i buy at least five bundles, which I clear in not more than six weeks. My intention for the future is to start sourcing the material directly from Tanzania and start selling to other places in Kenya like the Rift Valley, Nyanza , Western Provinces and Kampala Uganda. This is because Lesos promote an East African tradition that is appreciated across communities and religions in the region. The Kanga is intertwined with the History of the Swahili Speaking Region of East Africa and Eastern Congo. The appreciation of the Kanga in this region is high due to this factor. This creates the potential wide market for the business.

Loan Proposal

I'd like to request for a $190 loan. This loan will be used for business purposes. This will help me buy more leso cloth for my Shop. I'll be able to add 47 pieces at Ksh.400 ($4) each. Each piece is to sell at a minimum (subject to bargaining) of Ksh.550 ($5.5) bringing Ksh.150 minimum each. These profit margins vary depending on unit sale and some units may be sold at Ksh.700 ($ 7) instead of the Ksh.550($5.5). This loan will enable me expand the size of the shop in terms of for sale units available. It will also help me find other ways of finding customers for my Lesos outside the traditional shop settings. More profit will mean more managerial responsibilities. I will benefit financially from this as an individual. I intend to start going out and finding buyers from other businesses, shops and homes. This will be an opportunity for me to start stepping into the bigger picture of the business. I'll really appreciate Zidisha and my lenders for an opportunity to make my shop grow.
I'd love for my lenders and the Zidisha Team to look at my loan request and help me with my entrepreneurial journey. Thank you in advance.

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