Persistent water shortage in Mavoko Sub-county and most parts of Machakos County has attracted women into water vending business, which has for a long time been known as men dominated business.
A woman was on Thursday spotted by this writer pulling a cat on Athi River streets with a child on her back, supplying residents of various estates in the town with the scarce commodity.
Gladys Anyango, 28, was on her dily business, having collected the fresh water from the Athi River’s Export processing Zone Authority.
When asked why she had resolved to the business with a child on her back, Anyango said she was jobless but had seen opportunity in the business due to the high water demand.
“I decided to join men in the water vending business after seeking employment in Athi River town for several years in vain. I later realized there was opportunity in the business,” said Anyango.
She further noted that the business had improved her living standard as a single mother, seeing her two children in school with the ability of paying her rent alongside settling other needs without much struggle.
She said she was forced to operate with her six months child tied on her back each time she was at work, because there was nobody to take care of her as she had no money to pay a nanny.
The water vendor disclosed that she usually wakes up by 5.30am to clear her house chores in time and get to the water collection point as early as possible to avoid wasting much time on the long ques.
Anyango said it was high time women engaged in all kinds of jobs and businesses that come their way to ensure reasonable livelihoods, adding that she made good money; she sells each 20 litre jerican at Sh25 and distributes 30 jericcans in a trip.
Water problem still remains a great pain in Machakos County, even as the county government tries to invent as many projects as possible to curb the shortage.