As a young girl, Findelise Nthenya had great dreams. Being a bright student, her career goal was to become a lawyer when she grew up. But as fate would have it, she didn’t manage to set foot in a high school or even university. “I grew up in Machakos and was top in my studies. But after finishing my KCPE exams and performing well, my parents couldn’t afford my high school fees, so I had to drop out of school,” she recalls.

With a zeal and determination to still achieve success in life, Nthenya set out for Nairobi to hustle. She secured a job as a house girl and worked for seven years. When she turned 18 years old, she got married and had her first child. Even though she focused on motherhood and being a wife, Nthenya had developed a passion for hair. Therefore, she started going to a salon near their home and practised plaiting hair.

Nthenya perfected the art and got work in a salon plaiting hair, but in 2019, she started freelancing as she felt being employed was not paying well.

While freelancing, her friend told her about the KCB Foundation 2jiajiri programme. “I applied and got selected to learn hydroponic farming in Ngong. As a young girl, I also practised farming at home, so I was very excited to learn this,” she says.

KCBF offered her a farm in Kibiko, where she started growing tomatoes after completing the programme. By this time, Nthenya also had a salon where she employed two other salonists. She juggled between farming and salon work. However, in October 2023, she closed the salon when she realised that seeing her clients from her home made more sense. Her two employees also made house calls. Luck was on her side as KCBF also gave her a chance to undertake a course in beauty, her passion.

“I was given a chance, through the KCB 2jiajiri programme, to a beauty college and I took it. So, I left my bit of the Kibiko Farm with my partner,” she recalls. Nthenya then had to choose between taking a course in beauty or hair. She chose beauty as she had already perfected her skills in hair. During the three months at the college, she learned about manicures and pedicures and how to apply flawless makeup.

Currently, Nthenya is scouting for a location to open her revamped salon that will offer hair, makeup, and nail services. “I am grateful to KCB for giving me a chance to do the beauty course even after doing the farming course because I have learnt a lot of things that I didn’t know,” she explains.

She says her earnings have really improved with the training she got at the beauty college, in 2018-2019 she used to earn between Sh4,500 to Sh7,500 weekly.

But now with the additional beauty and nail services, her earnings have increased to Sh30,000 weekly.

“KCBF has been instrumental in my business because through their market day initiatives, I have been able to network and connect with a few clients,” she says.

In the future, she plans to manufacture natural hair products, including conditioners and shampoos, which she will use on her clients. Her friends are proud of her, and some are looking forward to the next KCB 2jiajiri programme intake to sign up.

“I am glad KCB came through for me. I am very happy at least now I can see the light,” Nthenya says.