She admits she didn’t not learn to ride a motorbike in a driving school. However, Esther Nyawira says she could not resign to fate and become a statistic among the jobless young women in Kirinyaga county.
“I have seen many young women give up in life or stay in bad marriages because they cannot fend for themselves. I wanted a different life for myself and I figured, I didn’t have the luxury to be picky when it came to work.
I had tried looking for work at salons and shops, but those jobs were not available,” says the mother of one. Curious and ready to wade in uncharted waters by a woman in her town of Kiaga, she approached a male friend for lessons on riding a boda boda. “He was kind enough that whenever he didn’t have a customer, he would teach me the basics in riding,” she says.
Nyawira quickly learnt to ride nd after a while, she was confided in her skills and went out looking for a job. Her approach to making ends meet had tongues wagging as in some quarters she was considered a ‘loose’ woman.
“I was always in the company of men and some people even thought I was a prostitute,” she says. Undeterred, Nyawira convinced a motor bike owner to give her a job and he did.
After a few days, she came face to face with discrimination and even taunting from some passengers. Some would be clients sneered at her direction and would not look at her twice. “I was required to give Sh300 to my employer every day which was not easy, bearing in mind that many people were reluctant to use my service,” she says.
Nyawira thanks some of her male friend riders who encouraged her to stay. “They told me there is no job that is easy and that the difference between a winner and loser is the effort and determination put. Some of them even shared clients with me and they would recommend me to passengers,” says the rider.
Looking to make more income, Nyawira also looked for a job at a car wash. “That way, I could make extra income,” he says. While at it, she would also assist in making cushions, which attracted the attention of her employer.
That was years ago. Now, she makes about 15 cushions a day depending on the number on the order. The cheapest cushion goes for Sh700. Nyawira says she finds pleasure in the trade and doing what many women would not even dare think about. She says she now earns enough to cater for her family and her daughter who is in a private school.
This, however, has not come without a challenge; she says some customers still belittle and mock her especially because of her small physique.
She recalls an incident where a male customer refused to talk to her until her boss returned. “Some customers don’t believe that a woman can do such a job. However those that I have served always come back and demand that I serve them again,” says the rider.
Since she completed her 0 Levels at Kiaga Mixed Secondary School in 2007, Nyawira says she has made many mistakes in search of a livelihood. She, however, says that she does not let those mistakes define her. “Life is about learning. A wise friend told me: “Fall seven times, get up eight times.
In short, don’t give up too easily,” she says. Now, she juggles three jobs; washing cars, making cushions and riding a boda boda. “I hope that one day I will start my own cushions making business and a car wash,” she says.