Herein is a story about a Ksh100 note that changed hands thrice, two hands that were generous and one heart that repaid in full.
From a kind-hearted woman to yours truly, I, to a guy stranded in town seeking fare.
In Nairobi, we meet all sorts of people. Some who shout you down, some who walk away, some who wake up to ask for food, some who are genuinely hustling in the streets. Others who walk around to clear the mind and some who don’t know what they are doing in the CBD.
As I drove around Nairobi, along Moi Avenue, we were stuck in a traffic jam caused by a pillion passenger and her rider.
The two were arguing over the cash she was supposed to pay. The bike was parked on one lane of the street, interfering with traffic for a few minutes.
Angry motorists hooted. I left them arguing as the county askaris from a far were rushing to man the situation. Those two (the rider & the passenger) probably ended up parting with more than they were arguing over. Nairobi!!
A few minutes after I parked my car along Moi Avenue, I strolled around trying to remember which shop I was to visit, only to recall that it was along Kimathi Street. I strolled back to Kenyatta Avenue and met a guy asking me for Ksh100.
He needed only Ksh100 for his fare. saying he was stranded in town.
“Bro, I just need the cash to get home in Thika. I never ask strangers for cash but today I am short,” he stated.
He looked genuine. Sometimes people move you with such requests, like that time I read a story online of a woman who met a lunatic in the streets only for him to turn out to be her primary school classmate.
The lady took the man in for rehabilitation and medical assistance. Or that moment when a guy met an asthmatic youth struggling in the streets and bought him two inhalers.
And that time when the news covered a group of youth who rescued an expectant woman.
The kind deeds move. Some are covered in the media, some are not. I wished to help this guy but did not have the cash at hand.
So I asked him to follow me to a supermarket along the street, maybe I’d do some shopping for him as I only had a Co-op ATM card. I couldn’t walk all the way back to Moi Avenue where I had packed my car and picked some loose change.
Then I saw this woman outside the supermarket and thought why don’t I ask her for some change.
“Excuse me, can I borrow Ksh100 from you?” I asked the woman in her late thirties, I presume, as she headed inside the supermarket along Kenyatta Avenue.
She paused for a while to scrutinize me. She looked at my tuxedo and evaluated the self-respecting pride and confidence it brimmed on me.
Then she shook her head and stood for a while. I guess she was wondering why I was borrowing Ksh100 yet I could afford a designer suit worth over Ksh100,000.
“I want to assist someone…,” I tried explaining only for her to cut me short.
“Never mind,” she opened her purse and handed me a Ksh100 note.
“Thank you,” I replied and handed the cash to the guy as the woman walked into the supermarket.
“Asante bro. Umenijenga sana (Thank you brother),” the guy appreciated and vanished into the streets.
I usually never give cash to those asking for money in Nairobi streets. Some are hooked on substances, some want money for unsubstantiated issues. Most times I happen to buy them food or a little shopping here and there.
Sometimes you believe and let them do as they please. As long as I have helped as much as I can.
I walked inside the supermarket and found the lady who gave me the Ksh100 cash on the queue.
She immediately recognised me and smiled. I walked over and explained my situation and we laughed.
“At first I thought you were scamming me, good looking, probably a CEO borrowing Ksh100,” she laughed.
“Actually I only had a card and couldn’t help him much. Can I pay for your shopping in return,” I asked. “You can actually add more stuff, just to appreciate your kind gesture,” I answered.
She was astounded and nearly broke down. With the economy so harsh and her struggling with making ends meet for her family, it moved her heart.
We strolled around the supermarket and I learnt that she had two kids and her husband was recently retrenched.
They were surviving on her Small business that was making a small profit but she was looking for an easy way to expand it.
“I know if we expand, get a few more customers we will be good to go,” she added.
“I got a solution for you,” I weighed in. “You know why I love Co-op bank, other than enjoying services with their ATM and not walking with cash, is that they offer affordable services for clients.
“With Co-op Bank, you can open an SME bank account then get a Co-op Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise (MSME) Business Plus Loan through the MCo-opCash App or via USD *667# and pay for your stock.
“Via the MCo-opCash App, you can bank anytime and anywhere without physically visiting the bank. The MSME loans are affordable.” I told her and drove her to the nearest Co-op bank after paying for her shopping.
Here, she learnt that Co-op offers MSME Term Loan that can be repaid up to 60 months.
The quick mobile biashara loans can be accessed via MCo-opCash or *667#.
“It’s an offer I am highly considering and will discuss with my husband back at home,” she added as she waited for the cab I hired for her.
“Before you leave, you can have your husband send me his CV via my WhatsApp number. I think I can create some roles for him at my accounting firm,” I added after learning that he studied Business Management and had over 10 years experience coupled with other short courses.
“Thank you, thank you so much,” she added as she was driven away.
We go through a lot as people, often hiding behind our smiles as life eats us in pieces inside. Seeing some people have a genuine smile for being helped unconditionally makes me happy.