Seed of Hope Success

Why did you join Seed of Hope?

I needed skills. My parents didn’t have money to pay for high school after I left class 8 (final year of primary school) in 2006. I’m the middle of 5 children and my two older siblings went to high school. I stayed at home helping my mum with the chores. All my friends went to school and I felt bad. My church had promised school fees but somehow that failed. A friend from church told me about Seed of Hope so I came with my mother to be interviewed.

How did you find your time at Seed of Hope?

Challenging! But you have to work. I had to understand what I went to school to do. Teenagers don’t want to be told what to do but we had to respect our teachers. I was friends with everyone and was happy with everyone.

What skills did you learn?

Very many! How to make chains, dresses and mats. How to associate with customers. Teenagers have so many bad things like not wanting to be told anything. I learned everyone is equal and we should all take turns at chores.

What has happened since you graduated?

I had a baby not long after graduating. I stayed at home for one year then saw a neighbour making mats. I have an interest in everything so I asked her how to improve on the ones I was making. She offered me a job making mats for 200ksh each. I kept looking for the materials – the woman wouldn’t tell me where she bought them as she didn’t want competition. Another friend took me to where they are sold and I started making my own. I use word of mouth to sell. I make one then go round selling it. I tell friends of friends to spread the word.

I can now sell a mat for 3,500ksh or more and pay myself a fair price for the labour. I don’t want to charge customers too much. It takes me one week to make a doormat.

I’m so very happy right now as I can be the one to set the prices for something. I also employ other people on a casual basis depending on orders I have.

The money I make is enough to look after me and my baby. Getting customers is the hard part though. I’ve been working in my own business for 6-8months now.

Any other comments?

Seed of Hope has helped me very much. I have business skills and life skills like how to handle people….men, parents and others. I use the skills I have been taught.

I hope one day to have my own company and employ many people.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed towards my success including teachers and my parents.

Now I’m somebody else, different from who I was. I was just staying in the village thinking about breakfast, lunch and supper but I didn’t ever think where they came from.

Now I’m thinking like a business lady. I went to the Tile and Carpet Centre (major outlet) to see what mats and materials they have. I want to start looking at buying and selling wholesale.

We would like to wish Lucy all the best as she continues to grow her business like many other Seed of Hope graduates.

Many of our current students rely on the feeding program to ensure they get a decent meal each day. Some students’ families want to withdraw them from school so they can earn money but the feeding program makes sure they attend every day. The local organic farming market has pledged a weekly donation of fruit and vegetables but we need funding for dry foods, cooking oil and charcoal. For our supporters in Kenya, we welcome donations of food as well as cash. If you can assist with this, please contact us.

Lucy Nduta is 21 years old and a graduate of Seed of Hope, Nairobi. She graduated in 2009 and is now running her own business producing mats which she sells in her local community. We thought it was important for people to see that long term solutions to poverty have an important role to play so we caught up with Lucy and asked her about her experience at Seed of Hope and how it has impacted her life.

Why did you join Seed of Hope?

I needed skills. My parents didn’t have money to pay for high school after I left class 8 (final year of primary school) in 2006. I’m the middle of 5 children and my two older siblings went to high school. I stayed at home helping my mum with the chores. All my friends went to school and I felt bad. My church had promised school fees but somehow that failed. A friend from church told me about Seed of Hope so I came with my mother to be interviewed.

How did you find your time at Seed of Hope?

Challenging! But you have to work. I had to understand what I went to school to do. Teenagers don’t want to be told what to do but we had to respect our teachers. I was friends with everyone and was happy with everyone.

What skills did you learn?

Very many! How to make chains, dresses and mats. How to associate with customers. Teenagers have so many bad things like not wanting to be told anything. I learned everyone is equal and we should all take turns at chores.

What has happened since you graduated?

I had a baby not long after graduating. I stayed at home for one year then saw a neighbour making mats. I have an interest in everything so I asked her how to improve on the ones I was making. She offered me a job making mats for 200ksh each. I kept looking for the materials – the woman wouldn’t tell me where she bought them as she didn’t want competition. Another friend took me to where they are sold and I started making my own. I use word of mouth to sell. I make one then go round selling it. I tell friends of friends to spread the word.

I can now sell a mat for 3,500ksh or more and pay myself a fair price for the labour. I don’t want to charge customers too much. It takes me one week to make a doormat.

I’m so very happy right now as I can be the one to set the prices for something. I also employ other people on a casual basis depending on orders I have.

The money I make is enough to look after me and my baby. Getting customers is the hard part though. I’ve been working in my own business for 6-8months now.

Any other comments?

Seed of Hope has helped me very much. I have business skills and life skills like how to handle people….men, parents and others. I use the skills I have been taught.

I hope one day to have my own company and employ many people.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed towards my success including teachers and my parents.

Now I’m somebody else, different from who I was. I was just staying in the village thinking about breakfast, lunch and supper but I didn’t ever think where they came from.

Now I’m thinking like a business lady. I went to the Tile and Carpet Centre (major outlet) to see what mats and materials they have. I want to start looking at buying and selling wholesale.

We would like to wish Lucy all the best as she continues to grow her business like many other Seed of Hope graduates.

Many of our current students rely on the feeding program to ensure they get a decent meal each day. Some students’ families want to withdraw them from school so they can earn money but the feeding program makes sure they attend every day. The local organic farming market has pledged a weekly donation of fruit and vegetables but we need funding for dry foods, cooking oil and charcoal. For our supporters in Kenya, we welcome donations of food as well as cash. If you can assist with this, please contact us.

Lucy Nduta is 21 years old and a graduate of Seed of Hope, Nairobi. She graduated in 2009 and is now running her own business producing mats which she sells in her local community. We thought it was important for people to see that long term solutions to poverty have an important role to play so we caught up with Lucy and asked her about her experience at Seed of Hope and how it has impacted her life.

Why did you join Seed of Hope?

I needed skills. My parents didn’t have money to pay for high school after I left class 8 (final year of primary school) in 2006. I’m the middle of 5 children and my two older siblings went to high school. I stayed at home helping my mum with the chores. All my friends went to school and I felt bad. My church had promised school fees but somehow that failed. A friend from church told me about Seed of Hope so I came with my mother to be interviewed.

How did you find your time at Seed of Hope?

Challenging! But you have to work. I had to understand what I went to school to do. Teenagers don’t want to be told what to do but we had to respect our teachers. I was friends with everyone and was happy with everyone.

What skills did you learn?

Very many! How to make chains, dresses and mats. How to associate with customers. Teenagers have so many bad things like not wanting to be told anything. I learned everyone is equal and we should all take turns at chores.

What has happened since you graduated?

I had a baby not long after graduating. I stayed at home for one year then saw a neighbour making mats. I have an interest in everything so I asked her how to improve on the ones I was making. She offered me a job making mats for 200ksh each. I kept looking for the materials – the woman wouldn’t tell me where she bought them as she didn’t want competition. Another friend took me to where they are sold and I started making my own. I use word of mouth to sell. I make one then go round selling it. I tell friends of friends to spread the word.

I can now sell a mat for 3,500ksh or more and pay myself a fair price for the labour. I don’t want to charge customers too much. It takes me one week to make a doormat.

I’m so very happy right now as I can be the one to set the prices for something. I also employ other people on a casual basis depending on orders I have.

The money I make is enough to look after me and my baby. Getting customers is the hard part though. I’ve been working in my own business for 6-8months now.

Any other comments?

Seed of Hope has helped me very much. I have business skills and life skills like how to handle people….men, parents and others. I use the skills I have been taught.

I hope one day to have my own company and employ many people.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed towards my success including teachers and my parents.

Now I’m somebody else, different from who I was. I was just staying in the village thinking about breakfast, lunch and supper but I didn’t ever think where they came from.

Now I’m thinking like a business lady. I went to the Tile and Carpet Centre (major outlet) to see what mats and materials they have. I want to start looking at buying and selling wholesale.

We would like to wish Lucy all the best as she continues to grow her business like many other Seed of Hope graduates.

Many of our current students rely on the feeding program to ensure they get a decent meal each day. Some students’ families want to withdraw them from school so they can earn money but the feeding program makes sure they attend every day. The local organic farming market has pledged a weekly donation of fruit and vegetables but we need funding for dry foods, cooking oil and charcoal. For our supporters in Kenya, we welcome donations of food as well as cash. If you can assist with this, please contact us.