Jasiri-Legends's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jasiri-Legends
The UK Kenya Tech Hub in conjunction with UK Aid and CIO East Africa recently partnered to host The Legends – Jasiri Edition an insightful program primed to inspire entrepreneurs’ journey towards digitalisation geared to accelerating their businesses. To this effect, top-ten bold entrepreneurs referred as the “Jasiris” were selected through a competitive evaluation of applicants from across Kenya. The transition toward the digital era continues to be determined by the rising number and types of entrepreneurs eager to establish their enterprises away from traditional game rules. These changes hinge on adaption of new parameters and functionalities related to digital technologies. Here are the Jasiri stories.
The tenacious story of Bernadette Muyomi, Founder & CEO, Green Agri Ventures (GAV) exudes both a measure of disruption and collaboration between her well-thought-out initiative that purposes to offer insurance to community groups and their households as opposed to the traditional focus on households only. The disruptive journey of utilizing mobile devices to enable women in rural settings to access credit and manage their savings speak volumes of resilience between a social enterprise and civil society organization that can help to propel healthy living. Being an award-winning social entrepreneur and social justice advocate one can’t help but align with her passion for promoting human dignity through an integrated development approach that she has ingrained in GAV.
The Legends-Jasiri Edition introduces to you James Paul Miller Ong’ang’a a dynamic and inspired Co-Founder of Najenga Online a services sector business company focusing on construction of individual homes and real estates. Passionately driven with the goal to bring smiles to people constructing their homes., James shares his story recalling the inward push of becoming an entrepreneur despite his father’s separate plans for him to be a senior administrator in more established firms or government. Catch with his zeal and turning-point.
The story of Muthoni Unchained couldn't be said better without taking a deeper thought of the period the business began. Jumping out of a comfort zone during the height of COVID-19 was squarely so daring a move. Beginning the journey of actualizing an African art culture hub was simply an expression of deeper passion for the ever so beautiful African handicrafts. Muthoni Unchained provides a platform where one can easily access authentic African items in fashion and art. The pieces are meticously hand made and collected from all over Africa creating a diversified offering of culture and unique taste. While the period could have calmed the founders to a wait-and-see moment, they went against the wind to say this is the moment with a bigger obligation and mission to make the African handicrafts more available to the mainstream global market and transform the lives of local communities with the purpose of supporting Artisanal Arts in Africa. The dream's been unshackled. The chains dropped. It is Muthoni Unchained.
While some people discover and focus on their passions very early in life, others take a long time to do so. The important thing is really just to pay attention to what inspires you and makes you happy. For Jeniffer Kaberi, the founder of Mtoto News, loved children right from her own childhood. She was playful when she was a child and led her age-mates in games while in a field. When she was in her teens writing became part of her quest. She penned ideas down a steady nurture of talent. Her exposure in the NGO community exposed her to harrowing challenges kids were facing. She got perturbed. She wanted change. Her move? She committed to work with children to help them have a voice, a move that founded Mtoto News. Her experience upholds the fact that children’s innocence thrive on reliability. Children require a safe presence. They need limitless understanding. This is squarely a story of giving back.
The story of Rachel Ndung'u, CEO, Biashara Africa stems from exposure in business while still a student and subsequently her love of technology when she joined university.
The thought of monetizing the Biashara Africa, a Kenyan based startup was yielded with the drive of creating sustainable livelihoods and employment by empowering the African small businesses, says Rachel who didn't shy to think Africa in her quest of adding value to entrepreneurs who initiate businesses, grow the businesses and sustain the momentum of wealth creation.
The desire to add value to the African small businesses pushed Rachel to engage with the young entrepreneurs considering that the role they play; are economically fragile with over 70% of them failing within the first five years mainly due to low sales/ revenue, informal operations and lack of data. This is gap, keeps Rachel and her team at Biashara Africa awake as they digitize the business process and payments.
The path to establishing Kazi Remote was indeed remote. Frida Mwangi had no idea that she could make a stub on the digital space and make an impact. Having successfully cleared high school but was denied her certificate owing to school fees arrears, she missed leaping into university. She became a young mother. Years went by and she was blessed with four children with the remotest idea of how she could effectively fend and transform her family's life. But as ideas are never limited, she chose to learn transcription which led her to kick-start her entrepreneurial journey. This was after shrugging with all the rigorous of government tender processes which she notes was shrouded with dicey paths and uncertainties. According to her, her transcription venture was straightforward but despite being so skilled and enthused with it, she missed a high set pass-mark of 90percent by 2percent and lost a job offer - an opportunity she was craving for from her transcription tutor. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Her tutor appreciated her zeal and chose to equip her with a fishing rod to fish in the digital space, and voila before long Kazi Remote was founded. It has exponentially grown. Frida’s story is a narrative of mixed fortunes, a story of resilience, and indeed a story of hope that marked a new beginning for her family and the youth she accords opportunities.
While quite a number of citizens may have sailed through the schooling with high grades and flying colors, some may have struggled along the academic chain. Perhaps you excelled in college and have since thought of employing or getting employment. The Dawati story co-founded by Mohamed Sharif is one that peers into the future while mirroring on a resolve to correct a painful journey of equipping children with less. How will this impact our future if we don't address the issue of underfunded and inadequate schooling today? It pained me to see children demotivated since they couldn’t access schools and teachers. His zeal is to see every child experience quality education. They deserve it. It is time, everyone felt so. Even if you don't have children, don't know anyone with kids, or simply feel that you're done with your education, you should still care about it big time. As a business owner, your future employees are currently, or will soon run into, the system. And where it is broken in the country, the only way up is to break the mold and mend it for the children for a better future.
The entrepreneurial journey is known in the world over as a not so pretty one, especially for starters. The Kenyan market has not been an exception. In 2019, having experienced the challenges first hand, Patriciah Okelo, founded Kayana to primarily help women along their entrepreneurial journeys by offering mentorship, capacity building and moral support, among others. This is her story touching on grit, passion and compassion.
Caroline Wanjiku, the former Global COO, StepWise and Co-Founder & former CEO, Daproim, is an inspiring Jasiri. Benefit from her insights in The Legends – Jasiri Edition produced by @CIOEastAfrica in conjunction with the @UK-KenyaTechHub. Hers is a story of passion, love, and grit.
George Gichuhi, Founder & CEO, of the Errands Guy is an inspiring Jasiri. In a moving story that reflects his quest for better depicts the courage, resilience, and the boldness that that makes an entrepreneur. Benefit from his passion and insights in The Legends – Jasiri Edition produced by @CIOEastAfrica in conjunction with the @UK-KenyaTechHub.