Claire Ocholla, a determined 40-year-old mother of three living in Eldoret county, has embarked on an extraordinary entrepreneurial journey. Starting as a tomato seller in 2013, Claire began by purchasing just 2 crates of tomatoes and selling them in the Eldoret market.
With determination and planning, she joined a savings group, allowing her to scale up her business. Within 3 years, Claire went from buying crates to securing a lorry full of tomatoes, becoming a distributor for other tomato sellers in the same market..
However, her aspirations faced a significant hurdle when the market was demolished towards the end of 2022. Undeterred by the setback, Claire resiliently relocated to Baharini, on the outskirts of Eldoret town, ready to rebuild her business.
“That is when I met with Inkomoko. They were conducting a recruiting campaign, and I signed up for the training program, recognizing the potential for growth and development that it offered. I underwent a one month training and coaching program where I acquired the knowledge to identify lucrative markets and discern the demands and needs of my customers.”
After the training, Claire received a loan of $250, which served as a lifeline during her transition, facilitating the purchase of stock and aiding her settlement in the new Baharini market.
An exciting opportunity arose when Claire was connected to a market in Kakuma. Through our business advisors in both Kakuma and Eldoret, she was connected to the Kakuma market. The team in Kakuma identified clients in need of groceries from Eldoret and linked them to Claire. Claire receives their orders through phone calls, packages them, and personally ensures their safe delivery. She utilizes public transportation to transfer the orders from Eldoret to Kakuma, where her clients collect them from designated bus stops in Kakuma town.
Leveraging the growing demand, Claire expanded her product range beyond tomatoes and ventured into selling oranges, bananas, mangoes, and avocados. To ensure a consistent supply, she sources her products from neighboring Uganda. The journey to Uganda, a three-hour drive from Baharini, has become a regular occurrence for Claire, visiting the market twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays to get stock for her clients.
Claire’s dedication and newfound expertise has yielded remarkable results in a relatively short time. In less than six months, her monthly profits surged to an impressive $300, a substantial increase from the meager $20 she used to earn before partnering with Inkomoko. Under Inkomoko’s guidance, Claire not only learned the importance of financial management but also gained the ability to effectively track expenses and revenue.
Inspired by her achievements and fueled by an ambitious vision, Claire aspires to become a prominent distributor of these products across Kenya within the next five years. Her ultimate goal is to create employment opportunities for youths and women, empowering them to sustain themselves and pursue their dreams.
“With Inkomoko’s guidance, I have tapped into unexpected opportunities and I’m excited about what I will achieve. Thank you for being my guiding light and empowering me to reach new heights.” she says.
