Soaring unemployment in Nairobi has thrown many into hopelessness as the search for jobs continues to be a nightmare running into years.

This has made many aspiring couples to train their eyes on rich men or women, however one couple in Kayole has toed a different path.

While many ladies her age are busy shopping, and trying to look pretty, Suzanne Mburu’s mind is stuck on her work as a cobbler in Nairobi’s Umoja estate.

Together with her husband Samuel, they run a small shoe repair, a business they have been operating for the past four years.

Despite the fact that to some it maybe just any other odd job, for this couple it’s not only a source of income, but their passion too. In a good month they make up to Sh30,000 half of which is saved.

Though this job may seem dirty for some, the couple says they have acquired a piece of land Nairobi’s Kayole estate, giving them a share of Nairobi’s hot property pie apart from catering for their daily needs.

“We have already constructed five temporary rooms and rented out two of them,” says Samuel.

What began as a desperate move to create a source of income has grown to become a reliable business, as well as a passion for the two.

“It all began in 2009 where using a meager capital of Sh3,000, I bought a stool, an umbrella and a few tools for this job,” Samuel explains.

As for Suzanne she got the skills a few months later after watching her husband in action.

“He used to carry customers’ shoes to the house and while he was doing the work, I was busy watching and learning,’ she says.

It was after her first try that she realized her ability that has seen her become the darling of most customers in the area.

“At first it was not easy because some of our clients were not confident with my work, meaning that I rarely got shoes to work on. But it was through my husband’s help that I was able to prove to them my capability,” she asserts.

At first she had to endure being mocked by her peers who saw the job as too dirty for a woman, but this never killed her spirit.

For now their dream is to accumulate enough money to build a permanent house, as well as upgrade their kiosk to a big shop.