Ruth Wangare, famously known as 'Mama Majaliwa' started her dress making business in early 90s in Migombani, Likoni with only one sewing machine, a pair of scissors and two rolls of threads.
"That time I couldn't afford to rent a shop. I therefore used the veranda outside the rental house I stayed in to start my tailoring business," she said.""I had the passion in dressmaking ever since I was young at my home in Kiambu. My family did not support my dream. They thought that the job wasn't well paying."In 1997, she had saved enough money that enabled her to rent a shop at Number Tano area near Kona Mpya. "My business took quite a turn after this. The number of customers increased and my monthly income was roughly Sh 15,000 per month. In 200, I opened another branch at Ferry," jovial Mama Majaliwa narrates.Six months later, her husband died leaving her with three kids to look after on her own. "This was one of the toughest times I have ever had in my life. School fees, bills started piling up. Financial constraints forced me to close down one of the shops in 2005," she adds.The jovial good looking tailor then decided to put all her efforts in the remaining store and even started offering dressmaking classes to interested neighbours.The profits earned from this enabled her to expand the business and hire workers. Wangare while narrating her story, disclosed that her services attracted more clients increasing income."Little by little, I started earning around Sh40,000 per month,'' she continued.Mama Majaliwa now owns a private home at Shelly beach in Likoni, managed to educate her kids. "My last born is a third year at Moi University. I now make profits worth over Sh15,000 per week," she pauses.The business lady agrees that every business has the potential to grow."The amount of effort one puts is what determines its outcome,'' concludes Wangare.#MyJob