At the age of 32, Duncan Amboka Sande has faced numerous obstacles on his path to success but he has never lost hope.
His father died when he was in Grade 5 back in 2008, leaving his physically challenged mother as the sole breadwinner. The young Duncan had to develop strong personal values. From an early age, he knew that delayed gratification, patience, and discipline were the keys to achieving his aspirations.
In 2020, he registered a social development organisation called Decent Skills Youth Group that is currently supporting more than 20 youth in Ruiru, Kiambu County, through the sale of their hand-crafted products. The group has helped the young men break the dependency syndrome and over-reliance on elusive white-collar jobs. Initially, the young men were making shaggy rags and mats as well as beadwork.
Early in life, Duncan found himself without the financial means to pursue higher education and sought alternative avenues for growth. “In my early life, I lacked the most essentials. My mother could not afford to raise school fees, and she relied on the community and extended family to finance both my primary and secondary school education,” he says, adding that what kept him moving was love from his mother, discipline, and hope for a brighter future. After completing his secondary school education in 2012, Duncan joined a local youth group in Ruiru, OJ area, which operated a car wash business. Here, he developed a saving culture. “I had a piggy bank in the house, and I started saving some money from what I earned from the car wash daily.” After saving for about three years, he thought of getting another source of income. Taking the money, he went to Gikomba Market, where he bought a bale of second-hand clothes and began selling mitumba next to the car wash. “This became my side hustle,” he says. The mitumba business generated a monthly income of Ksh11,000.
During the COVID-19 pandemic period, like in many other sectors, the car wash and mitumba businesses were affected, and Duncan, a father of two – a boy and a girl – had to look for an alternative source of income to cater for his young family. “I switched and moved to a timber yard, which was a few metres from where we used to operate a car wash. At least for them, the business was not adversely affected by the pandemic. At the timber yard, I got a job as a casual worker earning a daily wage of Ksh600. It’s from here that my passion for woodwork developed,” he says.
It was during this period, while still working at the timber yard, that he registered Decent Skills Youth Group. Besides the group, he owns a workshop where, together with his employees, he does woodwork, painting, beadwork, and makes flower vessels from bottles – a business he established after graduating from a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centre in 2023 which was facilitated by KCB Foundation.
Within a short time, Duncan has been able to structure his business and market himself to potential clients attracting more orders and sales. However, he is facing the challenge of equipment and a showroom where he can display his products. “I am still optimistic, and my immediate plan is to create a website and start utilising various social media platforms to reach out to more clients,” he mentions. He says the KCB Foundation’s 2Jiajiri programme has equipped him with essential life skills. A program he came to learn about while working at a timber yard in Ruiru, and in November 2020 joined YAW programme and was trained in woodwork by Panesar. “I joined TVET under the KCB Foundation’s 2Jiajiri programme in 2022 to undertake a course in carpentry and joinery and later graduated in 2023 with a certificate after gaining vast knowledge in timber and woodworks. Now, I’m able to navigate personal and professional challenges with confidence,” he says.
Additionally, the financial literacy training he received is proving instrumental in making informed decisions and managing his finances effectively. “I now know how to make quotations, market my products, and approach clients.” With the skills gained, Duncan started a carpentry business, and his monthly income has increased to Ksh25,000 per month. At the workshop he has employed eight people (five male and three female) and indirectly his venture has created four job opportunities benefitting a lady and three gentlemen. Duncan has also been mentoring youth in the area to join TVETs and gain more skills.
Through the monthly KCB Foundation and farmer’s market days, Duncan says he has been able to make an average sale of Ksh3,000 in addition to his monthly sales. He has also been able to save and buy power tools which include two drills, one glue gun, and sandpaper. Duncan says the most impactful aspect of his journey, particularly from KCB Foundation, is the mentorship he received. He explains, “The guidance of experienced professionals and mentors has provided invaluable support as I continue to pursue my passion. Under their wings, I will continue to hone my skills and be on the path toward becoming a skilled artisan.”