When Esther Wanjiru finished her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams 10 years ago, little did she know what the future had for her. First it was clear that her parents were not in a position to pay her secondary school fees and secondly she knew her performance may not attract well wishers to support her. And just as she was expecting, when the results were released, her grades were not so good to continue with formal education, she says.
“I didn't perform well so I didn't see the reason of repeating class eight. After all even if I would have repeated, my parents were not in a position to pay my fee at that time,” says Wanjiru, now a mother of two.
Confused and not sure of the next step, she went to Nakuru town to assist her aunt with house chores. Her aunt operated a tailoring business in the outskirts of the town. Although she was not interested in tailoring, her aunt too was not willing to teach her the skills.
“For one year I didn't visit my aunt's business. My work was to look after the child,” says Wanjiru.
“I started visiting her in the business place when the child was big enough to walk. That when I had an opportunity to observe what tailoring was all about,” she recalls.
The business was doing well and felt her aunt was making a fortune out of the venture.
This made her develop some interest in tailoring. Sometimes one of her aunt’s employee would tell her to learn the course.
“She had even agreed to volunteer to train me. That didn't amuse my aunt, according to her I was supposed to be in the house,” says Wanjiru.
“That made us be at loggerheads and for that reason I packed and went back home,” she recalls.
Back home, she was able to convince her parents to pay a fee to train a course in dressmaking.
“A cousin from Kiambu was so impressed when she found out what I was doing. She even bought me a sewing machine.”
“ I am now settled in my business and even recently got a loan through which I have bought a sewing machine and employed a helper. In due course I hope to increase the number of employees and start offering training to other girls going through a similar experience like I did,” says Wanjiru.