A young entrepreneur in Tharaka Nithi County is steadily transforming his family’s economic fortunes through a combination of welding and dairy farming.
His efforts have been boosted by financial support and practical training from the locally based organisation, Village Hopecore International.
Newton Munene, who hails from Kiraro village in Maara Sub County, says his journey to self-reliance began with numerous challenges after graduating from college with welding skills.
According to Munene, the lack of equipment, start-up capital and a permanent workshop made it difficult to establish himself in the trade, while attracting clients and earning their trust proved equally challenging.
“Before I joined HopeCore, life had many struggles. I was fresh from college, and hustling meant struggling just to survive,” said Munene.
His breakthrough came after joining a HopeCore-supported self-help group, where members save collectively and receive training in financial management, discipline and entrepreneurship.
Through the group, Munene accessed his first loan of Sh30,000, which he invested in purchasing a welding machine.
With the equipment, he began offering mobile welding services, moving from one homestead to another within his locality.
The consistent income from the mobile services enabled him to service the loan and continue saving with the group.
After two years of disciplined saving and timely loan repayment, Munene qualified for a second-cycle loan of Sh70,000.
He used the funds to purchase a motorcycle, which significantly improved his mobility, allowing him to reach clients in neighbouring communities and transport materials more efficiently.
With his welding business gradually stabilising, Munene decided to diversify his income streams by venturing into dairy farming.
Using a third-cycle loan of Sh100,000, he purchased an additional dairy cow, increasing his herd to two.
Income from welding services and milk sales enabled him to repay the loan, meet household expenses and begin constructing a permanent house for his family.
Munene later qualified for HopeCore’s premium loan cycle, which he invested in purchasing two more dairy cows and constructing a proper cowshed to improve animal welfare and productivity.
The expansion significantly boosted milk production and overall income, allowing him to comfortably pay school fees and improve his family’s living standards.
Currently, profits from the welding business continue to support his farming activities.
He has also invested in a chaff cutter, improving efficiency in feed preparation and reducing labour costs on the farm.
In addition to supporting his household, Munene’s welding workshop provides casual employment opportunities for local youths.
“Through this small venture, we are improving other people’s lives. Casual labourers get their daily bread from here, and we hope to engage more as the business expands,” he said.
Munene lauded HopeCore for helping him transition from financial instability to sustainable income generation, noting that discipline and commitment were key to benefiting from such interventions.
Looking ahead, he plans to expand his dairy enterprise further over the next few years.
“HopeCore has been good to us. It is truly improving lives. If you are disciplined, you will eventually succeed through similar initiatives,” he said.
By Dickson Mwiti
