Name
Charles
Member since
January 2015
On-time repayments
62 installments • 52%
My name is Charles Muthee Wachira. I was born in Nyeri County which lies on the central highlands of Kenya. This is an area where the main occupation of the residents is agriculture. The main crops grown here are horticultural produce such as fruit and flower farming mainly for export market. I grew up here in a large family of 9 and I am the 6th born.
I moved out of Nyeri after my secondary school since I realized that my parents residence was getting overcrowded. I moved to Mombasa to live with an uncle and I later enrolled for a course in pharmacy. I completed the course after two years and got a job at a chemist where I worked for one year. I then quit since the terms of employment were not good and decided to start my own business.
I am married with two kids who are in school.
I make pesticides by using chemicals such as boric acid. My products are used to kill insects such as cockroaches, and rodents such as rats. These pests are a menace in many neighborhoods around Mombasa city to low hygienic standards of the locals.
I also sell rat traps for those who do not like using chemicals. Due to the uniqueness of my business, it is almost a monopoly and my main competition are big companies though most of my customers testify that my products are superior.
With the sale of this products, I make a net profit of about $150 per week which I use for my family's upkeep and also to support my parents and the extended family.
As mentioned above, my business has grown tremendously after joining Zidisha. More people are now aware of what I do due to advertisement and this has driven the demand of my products up.
I am now planning to reach more people more effectively by taking the business where these people are. I am currently operating in the central area of Mombasa city and I want to open another a new branch about 10 kilometers away. This way, I will be able to reach the grassroots where there is a different class of people but who need my services even more than the urban dwellers. Out of this money, USD 150 will go into rent and renovations of the premises. The remaining amount will go into buying the stock for the new outlet.
Due to my long experience in this field, I am sure of success and possibly create much needed more job opportunities. Thank you.
Positive
None
Neutral
None
Negative
None
Project Type
Classic Loan
Disbursed amount
$312.00
Date disbursed
Sep 16, 2015
Repayment status
Late
Projected term
7 months
Other loans
Ask Charles a question about this project, share news and photos of your own, or send a simple note of thanks or inspiration.