Farida, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), knows what it’s like to arrive in Nairobi as a refugee. She knows what it is like to begin again without a home or source of income. She also knows the skills and determination that it takes to become a successful entrepreneur and enjoys sharing her knowledge with fellow refugees. After launching her own business with the support of a $200 RefugePoint business grant, Farida now takes pride in participating in RefugePoint’s Business Strengthening Workshops (BSW) as a mentor. BSWs serve as a platform for RefugePoint clients to come together to share their successes and challenges in both business and life.
“I’ve participated in three RefugePoint Business Strengthening Workshops. I have talked about my business, the challenges I have gone through, and how my business is doing now. I have also talked to many participants one-on-one. All of them are refugees like me. I understand their struggles, challenges, and fears. I also know that they, too, can run their own businesses and succeed. I want to encourage as many of them as possible. I need to share the knowledge I have, and I am determined to do so.”
At home in the DRC, Farida and her husband Gatore had both been elementary school teachers but were forced to flee in 2015 after conflict broke out in their community. After a long and treacherous journey through Uganda, Farida and her family finally found their way to Nairobi, Kenya.
The first few months in Nairobi were extremely difficult for Farida and Gatore, both of whom were unable to find work as teachers. They struggled to support themselves and their small child. The young family survived on handouts and slept in a church, as they had no place to live. With great determination to support themselves, Farida and Gatore raised a small amount of capital through their church community to launch a small business selling fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, the business was attacked by robbers who stole all of their stock and possessions. When Farida and her family met RefugePoint, they were struggling to find a new source of income and were being evicted from their living situation.
In June 2017, both Farida and Gatore completed RefugePoint’s Business Development Skills training, and each received a small start-up grant of $200. They invested their grant money into launching a business selling second-hand clothes, mobile phones, and fish. In addition to the business grants, Farida and Gatore also received food and rent assistance from RefugePoint. Within just two months of launching their business, the family was able to afford to pay rent for a small house, and even began hosting another homeless single mother and her three-month-old baby.
After saving a little more capital, in 2018, Farida began exploring the possibility of expanding her business. With help and guidance from a Kenyan friend, Farida was introduced into the rice selling business. Farida now travels about 230 kilometers outside of Nairobi, to a town called Embu, where she buys rice wholesale and sells it at a retail price in Nairobi.
“I supply 60 kilos of rice to five cafes in my neighborhood every week. It’s a great business! The orders that I get are consistent, and the clients pay on time. Additionally, when I travel to Embu to purchase rice, I also sell shoes, bags, and clothing to the traders there. I am constantly doing business, and I love it!”
Lilian Maina, a RefugePoint Livelihoods Associate, knows first-hand about the considerable impact that having a mentor such as Farida has on the other clients attending the Business Strengthening Workshops. “Sometimes, it can be hard to know the exact impact that BSWs have on our clients. However, I was able to see that impact for myself when I made a routine monthly monitoring visit to one of my clients, Peter. Unlike my previous visits with Peter, I could tell that something about him had changed for the better. From the way Peter welcomed me to his new one-bedroom house, to the way he confidently spoke about his business and life in general. When I first met Peter, his business was struggling. His stock was not moving, and his record-keeping was poor. I could tell that Peter was barely making enough to save. Peter was constantly thinking about how he could get a re-grant, which is not always the best solution for a struggling business. Sometimes all we need is a force to push us out of our comfort zone. Sure enough, Peter’s force came through meeting Farida at the BSW. Through the lessons that Farida shared with the group, Peter felt confident that he could make his business work. Peter requested to exchange phone numbers with Farida, which she agreed to. Farida also went a step further by making regular visits to Peter’s business for one month to give him advice and feedback. Farida even helped Peter to locate and move into an affordable and safe one-bedroom home. They are now neighbors.”
Farida shared with us: “In business, you must take chances, and you must try, put your foot in the door. How else will you know if you will fail or succeed? Or if a product will sell or not? I took a risk and traveled far outside of Nairobi to source for the rice. I took a second risk by deciding to combine the businesses and carry clothes and shoes to sell to farmers and traders in Embu. Did I have challenges? Of course, I did. You lose money; you fall ill; you are robbed. There was a time when I placed a large order with a farmer who didn’t deliver and stole my money. There was also a time I was given a bag of poor quality rice that I couldn’t sell. But now I know how to check the quality of the rice I purchase. I assess the texture, the look, and the smell of the rice. All of these lessons, I had to learn with time.”
These are some lessons Farida shares when she speaks at a RefugePoint’s Business Strengthening Workshops as a mentor.