Historically, women have always been disadvantaged in the socio-economic and political spheres in the society. However, one woman who hails from Kibera has stood out as a pinnacle of success in a male-dominated society.
Millicent Anyango, who was orphaned at an early age and a mother of six, has managed to think out of the box, saving her poverty threatened household from incessant pangs of hunger.
With a young family and a husband merely trying a living, Anyango has developed a strong economic support base that has now morphed the family.
“She decided to join a Non- Governmental Organization (NGO)known as GIZ which trained me on making jikos called rocket stove. She worked with this organization from 2008 to 2013,” Anyango said.
Thereafter, Anyango joined another NGO, Integrated Association of Kenya (ISAK) where she improved her skills in making jikos.
She learnt to make portable multipurpose jikos which use both firewood and charcoal. The range includes ‘jiko smart’, ‘jiko kisasa’ and ‘Chepkube’ type which has an oven.
Anyango says that it takes five to six hours to make one jiko in a permanent house, while it can take up to twelve hours to make the same jiko in a semi-permanent house.
In a semi-permanent house, Anyango has to dig and build a strong cemented foundation which consumes a lot of time and the cemented area must dry first before making the jiko on top of it.
“If a customer has all the materials required for the work, we negotiate labour charge but if the materials are mine, then I charge Sh15, 000,” Anyango said.
She says she got motivated to join the male-dominated work when she saw a woman who was repairing bicycles in Rongo town.
Anyango thanks her husband who has supported her in her work by allowing her to attend to her customers countrywide.
“Anyango get calls from clients in different parts of the country such as Mombasa, Eldoret, Machakos to construct the jikos,” she said adding that she feels good now that she pays fees for her children and meets other basic needs.
Anyango’s desire is to see other women working hard and advises them to take up male-dominated jobs instead of waiting for their husbands to put everything on the table.
She also urges men to support their wives to startup businesses in the informal sector.
Anyango said that she is ready to teach other women the skill so that they can benefit from it because the venture is marketable countrywide.
Anyango started up her own company known as JIROMI agencies, where she has two partners.