Dominic Samson Ndingiti is a Kenyan walking race champion who bagged the country's first medal for the boys 10,000m track race but is not afraid to get his hands dirty in the Juakali trade.
The under-20 athlete hails from Kisii County, where humble beginnings moulded him to yearn for success and the family members started enjoying fruits from his previous victories.
However, the global pandemic had brought the economy to a standstill for him as well as other Kenyans following the government's containment measures on the country.
“Life was very difficult for us because I was brought up in a humble background but for now things have changed a little bit, at least my family has earned recognition out of this sport,” He previously narrated.
Determined to battle the economic hardships, he ventured into making modern-day Jikos for a living without the consideration of his stature.
“You don’t wake up and be perfect in a certain craft and I developed the interest of making jikos since I was in class seven, that’s before I joined Team Kenya.
“I took some time off because of the intense training for various competitions,” Ndingiti stated.
Like many other Kenyans, athletes were forced to innovate and try new jobs in order to sustain their livelihoods last year.
His craft-making skills have seen him gain the confidence of his clients who are trooping in to fill their quest for the fast-moving goods he sells.
Furthermore, being feted with SOYA Awards for innovative Jiko’s that was hosted in Naivasha in February.
His client base is not only from Kisii County but includes counties such as Nyeri, Kisumu and Nakuru.
“Most of my customers are women and if I get to deliver the product within Kisii and its environs I will charge Ksh2,000. However, for clients outside the county, it will cost Ksh 5,000.”
Ndingiti's venture is a determination of breaking the norm as it evokes memories over the welfare of our sports personalities who end up poor after winning colossal amounts and awards.
