Biz Lounge: Nakuru teacher leaves the classroom to start seat renting business at south cemetery
Virginia Wanjiku (in red) helps her clients find a place to sit at Nakuru south cemetery on January 11, 2024.
Each morning, Virginia Wanjiku makes her way to her office, the Nakuru South Cemetery, the place where she has earned her daily bread for the last seven years.
As families visit the grounds filled with sadness to send off their loved ones, she holds her breath hoping that they will rent out her seats and tents so that she can make ends meet.
However, this is not how Virginia imagined earning her livelihood.
The 45-year-old shares, "I am professionally trained to be a teacher and even a registered member of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). "
Virginia Wanjiku during an interview with Mtaa Wangu on January 11, 2024.
Regardless of her qualifications and accreditation, Virginia unfortunately wasn't able to secure a job and was for a long time dependent on her husband.
"For the longest time, my husband was the family's breadwinner and I stayed home taking care of our two daughters," she notes.
It wasn't long before a family tragedy provided a glimmer of hope for the mother of two.
The business lady reminisces, "Years ago, I lost my father in law who was laid to rest in Nairobi. While the funeral service proceeded, a man went round collecting money from every individual that had taken a seat."
This was Virginias lightbulb moment.
She thought, “I can start this exact business back in Nakuru since I've never seen this back there.”
Filled with aspirations of finally helping her husband to put food on the table, Virginia acquired a loan of Sh 20,000 to secure her initial seats.
"The loan enabled me to get 20 seats and pay for their daily transportation to the burial grounds. Through the help of my brother that would help me carry the chairs, I was able to pay back the loan in three months," she notes.
It wasn't long before her husband joined her as a business partner.
As time went by, her 20 seats grew and so did her ability to fend for her family and even acquire tents to rent out.
"I got two tents from a family friend which seat 50 and 100 people respectively," she shares before adding, "currently, my rent rates are 10 shillings per seat and Sh 2,500 to Sh 3,500 for the 50 people tent and Sh 3,500 to Sh 4,500 for the 100 people tent depending on the funeral’s location."
Since beginning her innovative business, Virginia and her husband have not only put food on the table over the years, but have also been able to take their two daughters through school with their eldest schooling at one of Nairobi's top universities.
One of Virginia's employees helps carry chairs at Nakuru south cemetery on January 11, 2024.
Virginia's business that started with only 20 seats currently has 1500 seats and six men that work under her.
However, like any business out there, Virginia's isn't without challenge.
She laments, "The biggest challenge I face is the high dropout rate of the men that help me since this is a highly manual job that not many are a fan of."
She additionally cites the breaking of the seats as another job hazard since she has to personally shoulder the burden.
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"All in all, I'm very grateful that I have something that takes care of my family's needs. Usisahau kazi ni kazi. Don't shy away from it as long as it's a legal and clean way of fending for your needs," Virginia Wanjiku closes off.