After graduating from Moi University armed with a degree in Finance, Alex Koech got a job as a tutor at African Institute of Research and Development Studies (AIRADS) in Eldoret.
Koech is an entrepreneur in nature, he runs five MPesa shops in Eldoret Central Business District (CBD), a farmer and also a part-time lecturer at different colleges in town, while furthering his studies as a Ph.D. candidate at Moi University.
While fresh from university, Koech who is the elder son in the family immediately got a job as a tutor for three years before he was promoted to be a principal when he was only 22 years old.
“I worked hard as a youthful tutor and I was promoted to be a principal of the college, but I just got tired and left, I did not know what to do for some time,” he said.
As a Tutor by then, he was being paid Sh16,000 per month, through the savings he was left with Sh10,000 which he decided to invest in an MPesa shop.
The 32 years old Koech also deals with farming that involves breeding of hybrid sheep (Dopper) which is an all-weather breed and fast in growing at Kambi ya moto, Nakuru County.
Koech who is still a bachelor and second born after her sister has the responsibility of being an elder son to take care of his siblings. He pays Sh53,000 school fees for his young sister who is in high school.
The challenges he faces include fraudsters, fake money, low circulation of money, also at times especially in the evening, he is forced to reduce cash from his MPesa shop in case of theft and sometimes finding the market for sheep.
From rearing sheep in his zero grazing farming after selling one sheep, a three-month-old goes at Sh15,000, mature sheep sales at Sh20,000 and a ram ranges from Sh25,000 to Sh30,000. All the sheep he sells are pure breed.
Some of his Dorper sheep at the farm. [Photo/prince charlton]
From the Mpesa shop and sheep farming, he makes up to Sh3.8 million per month.
“I make Sh55,000 per month from my five Mpesa shops and on average every month I sale 5 sheep at cost of Sh20,000 depending on the market, so per month, I make around sh. 100,000,” said Koech.
He notes that as a part-time lecturer, he interacts with youths a lot in several universities and as a teacher he also motivates youth.
Koech urges the youth not to think that getting a job is everything.
“It is not a must that when you have the education you wait for a job, create your own, in class, you are there to gain skills so that you may have your own ideas. Look at the bigger picture don’t look at the jobs,” he advises.