To be honest, for me, the marketplace has never been just a place of trade - you know, the buy and sell stuff. To me, it's more like home.
I’ve grown here as a person. They call me Mama Susan. I started with a small kibandaski and expanded to include imports and supplies.
I am one of the famous mama mbogas around. I have featured in a music video shot in our market, covered in national televisions business sections. Oh, yes, I was also part of an advert back then while the market was still new.
Some people say that I should run for an elective seat. Haaa! Maybe you’ll tell me if I should after you read my story.
By the way, I have retained my customers for years and have been referred to many others. Some customers would even tell me of how they relocated to other estates but would always shop at my place on weekends.
“Aki Mama Sussan natuma mtoto hapo, umuuzie vizuri, (I am sending my kid to shop at your shop)” I was used to this type of phone calls.
Even when the pandemic broke out and prices increased, mine were fair as compared to other sellers. When the cost of living rose, my prices were still fair.
My secret has always been to sell at a fair price, maintain my customers and enjoy the tips. I’d always sell in bulk to earn higher profits than all others.
During my free time, I would buy Safaricom mobile data and watch videos online, see how to expand, and learn about new SME and business loans. This made me a favourite of others as I used to teach and inform them too.
We grew as women together and the knowledge I acquired enriched our chama.
I’d wake up in the morning and see how the market rose from its slumber. See the shops that stood each other side by side, probably knowing each other better than we do, open from a long night's rest, ready to welcome every soul that came in search of food.
Listen to the sounds of large tattered wagons picking dirt or delivering vegetables. The sound of a customer chewing on a carrot or toying around with an orange in his hand. The sound of a passer-by quenching thirst, draining water from a bottle before they toss it away.
“Wewe nani, ebu okota io chupa. Umeona dustbin hapo,” a trader would shout back.
Stare at the sweaty buyers who skilfully wove their way by locating one shop after another and watch the afternoon sun drain the life out of us.
So the day our local politicians were campaigning near the market, some traders closed shop to rush to listen to their manifesto.
But I, knowing that I would make a kill that day while still listening to the politicians, sat calmly in my shop.
“Mama Sussan, huendi kuona uyo MP (Mama Sussan, aren’t you going to see the MP),” Milkah asked as she and four others were rushing out.
“No. I will stream it right here. In fact, I would listen and watch better,” I responded.
“Aii, with the high cost of data?” Jane wondered.
“Haah! No worries. Safaricom introduced Nyoosha Shillingi offer to provide its customers with new and revamped data bundles for the same price! With Ksh20 you now buy 100 MBs, double the usual 50MBs provided before.
“One thing about the new Safaricom Nyoosha Shillingi campaign is that data does not deplete faster anymore. Data, calls and SMS offers were extended by between 40% and 100%,” I told them, bragging of how my son introduced me to the new offers the previous day.
“You can also get 300MB daily rather than 150MB with Ksh50. For the weekly Ksh99, you now get 500MB, a 43% increase from the usual 350MB. You can also get 2.5GB+Free Whatsapp for Ksh500 and 7GB+Free Whatsapp for Ksh1000 and more offers,” I added.
The free WhatsApp only comes with a specified bundle. The new data plans are available on *544#, *555#, my Safaricom app, Blaze app and www.safaricom.co.ke/bundles.
“Milkah, you can now purchase the new data bundles using airtime, Bonga Points and MPESA,” I went on.
“Wacha tuambie hao wengine hata wenye wameenda tu huko bure (Let us also inform the others who have rushed to the campaigns,” Jane added as the new information created a buzz in the market.