This archive report was first published on 21 August 2019.
It's been a year since Geoffrey Kiiru graduated from the University of Embu with a BCom degree, but his job search was not going as planned. However, he found an unexpected way to earn a living.
While visiting a friend, Kiiru was inspired by the way his friend had decorated a wine bottle. He was shown how to do it and, with the first bottle turning out well, he sold it to his landlord for Sh500. This was his capital, and he went on to decorate more bottles and sell them to lecturers and students.
With the initial success, Kiiru's landlord gave him space near the road and provided timber, nails, and iron sheets to make a shed. Kiiru earned Sh2,000 in the first week and was motivated to continue.
Today, Kiiru and his two colleagues, who are students, make assorted household items, including car mats, lamp shades, portraits, wall hangings, and rags. They specialise in decorating mats and empty wine bottles that would otherwise be discarded and litter the environment.
According to Kiiru, the hustle requires a confident and focused person, as it entails collecting bottles from bars and dumping sites. He cleans and disinfects them for his safety and that of his customers.
Kiiru sells a decorated bottle at Sh400 and mats at around Sh3,500. In a week, he makes a profit of at least Sh4,000.
