Girl with a thing for sewing shoes beats Covid boredom
Driving along the Nakuru-Bahati Highway, one is attracted to a nicely constructed wooden structure at Ahero Centre, with the words ‘Fundi wa Viatu’.
Unless you have a tidy well-maintained shoe, this is a place that you cannot miss, and for the locals it is a one-stop shop for a rebirth of their damaged shoes.
However, little is known about the shoe ‘surgeon’ working on the repairs who has made a breakthrough in the industry despite her young age.
As they say, necessity is the mother of invention; 13-year-old Ann Wanjiku is making good use of her time at home to eke a living for her family with her skill.
A second born in a family of four, Wanjiku stands out among the rest and you can feel the sense of responsibility vested onto her shoulders as she strives to make ends meet.
After Covid-19 struck and schools were closed, Wanjiku a candidate at St John Primary School in Bahati says she started repairing shoes at home after overwhelming support from the family.
The journey into the male dominated field as a youngster was challenging, as many accused her parents of forcing her to child labour with a number of locals looking down on her.
With some discouraging her at first, Wanjiku said she had to focus on winning the hearts of a few customers who visited her place adding that with time her trick worked and she had the opportunity to showcase her skill.
When we visited Wanjiku at her working base, over the weekend, she had more than 20 clients for the day waiting for various repairs which she says ranges from Sh20 to Sh100 depending on the damage.
She said a vacuum in the field gave a chance to smoothly blend in among traders in the area adding that her decision to venture into the business was not because of poverty rather a chance to become occupied amid the pandemic.
Amount to charge
Wanjiku recalls she was unsure of the amount to charge her customers for the services adding that her first work she demanded for Sh10 for one shoe but the customer paid her Sh100 after being impressed with her prowess.
While some refuse to pay her, Wanjiku does her work diligently and hopes that God would reward her sweat, noting that the job has not only been an eye opener for her but also for women in the area who have never ventured into the business.
According to her support from some locals in the area gave her even more motivation to work hard as they bought her some complex tools for use which he did not have while starting and also constructed a wooden shade for her daily activity.
“At first some of my neighbours discouraged me and to test if I was able to repair, they brought in some shoes with conditions that if I can’t manage to make a good repair they will not pay, however, I managed to satisfy them.”
On a good day Wanjiku makes a profit of Sh200 after deducting her expenses, which include buying glue, weaving threads and patching materials.
She noted that her main motivator is her mother saying that despite not making a single cent in some of the days the mother is always supportive and always loves to know how the business went and any challenges she’s facing.
Wanjiku yearns to have a bigger working space to accommodate other school going children and teach them how to repair shoes and in the process keep them busy and engaged apart from learning from home.
As they say, the early bird catches the worm, her day starts at exactly 6am, where she helps the parents in house chores, feeds the rabbits and later goes for work where she reports at 9am.
After closing work at 4pm in the evening, Wanjiku starts her journey back home and her first assignment is to study acknowledging that being a candidate she has to put her studies first.
She said once the school re-opens she will fully focus on her studies and work only during holiday break adding that she would want to become a doctor.
“All people need a support engine and where can you get best if not from home, I will not abandon my studies just yet because I have a career dream that I want to follow.
My call to all the children out there, never allow anyone to put you down,” said Wanjiku.
Commendable job
Grace Nyambura the cousin said what Wanjiku is doing is commendable adding that it keeps them busy and can prevent them from falling victims to teenage pregnancies and early marriages especially during the pandemic.
Nyambura called on school going students who have talents and skills to utilize them fully and ensure they are keeping safe from the vices and also study.
“I am a Form Two student at Gikanga Kagece Secondary School in Murang’a and what I have seen Wanjiku doing is marvelous, you cannot take away such a talent,” said Nyambura.
On his part Joseph Karanja from LSTL foundation said Wanjiku has a rare skill and came together to boost the business by equipping her with necessary tools for work pointing out that what majorly stood out was her self-discipline.
Karanja said the talent has to be natured adding that a lot of kids are using their time wrongly with some engaging in sex and drugs saying more needs to be done to ensure they are safe from the vice.
“By promoting such talents, we are also diversifying the education system and enabling the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to be more instilled in our children at a young age,” said Karanja.
Wanjiku’s mother Zipporah Wambui called on parents to nurture talents among their children saying it is a way of allowing them to get more life skills.
She however noted that there was a need to follow up on their activities adding that being out among other people, supervision is key.
“My daughter has an admirable character and I can proudly say she has made a name for herself at a very young age and all I can do is support her fully,” said Wambui.
