- Moses Karimi dropped out of school in Class 2 and spent years hawking goods and sharpening knives in the slums of Kisumu to survive
- Rather than accept his circumstances, Karimi began researching garlic farming after spotting a gap in the market
- The once-disillusioned hawker has built a farming enterprise that now employs staff and trains over 100 farmers monthly
Moses Karimi Githaiga, a Nyeri man born and raised in the village of Kiawara in Kieni Sub County, never made it past Class 2 in primary school.
Source: Facebook
While his peers sat in classrooms, he was navigating the slums of Manyatta and Nyalenda in Kisumu, sharpening knives and hawking goods just to get through each day.
For many, that story ends there. Poverty accepted, potential buried. Karimi had other ideas.
Research on Garlic
During his years of hustling, Karimi developed a habit that would change the course of his life forever.
After exhausting days on the streets, he would head to a cybercafé and spend hours reading about garlic farming.
He discovered that the majority of garlic consumed in Kenya was imported from China, a detail that told him the local supply was nowhere near enough to meet demand.
He saw the gap clearly and began building a plan around it, and in 2012, he returned to Kiawara with that plan in hand.
From KSh 80k to KSh 4.8m
He secured a quarter-acre piece of land and planted 25 kilograms of garlic using techniques he had picked up through his own research.
These included a seed propagation method that cut the growing cycle from eight months down to four, after which he harvested 800 kilograms from that first small plot.
At KSh100 per kilogram, his debut season earned him KSh 80,000. That first pay-out gave Karimi the foundation he needed.
The following year, he scaled up to one acre and harvested 4,800 kilograms, bringing in KSh 480,000.
He set aside 20% of every harvest for seed propagation to keep the cycle self-sustaining, and he kept growing.
By 2013, he had acquired 13 acres and established Saumu Centre Limited. That same season, the company brought in KSh 4.8 million within four months.
Karimi Now Employs Over 10
Today, his operation supports 10 permanent employees and takes on 13 additional casual labourers during the busiest periods.
Beyond his own farm, Karimi trains more than 100 farmers every month, drawing participants from Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga and Laikipia.
Each training session costs KSh 3,000 and includes reading materials and reference guides to help attendees apply what they learn.
A Class 2 dropout who once sharpened knives to survive has become a job creator, a trainer and a self-made entrepreneur, driven by nothing more than curiosity, consistency and a willingness to start small.
Source: TUKO.co.ke