ENTREPRENEURS CORNER: THE Mswahili electrician
Some people are born entrepreneurs, some people choose it. At the end of the day, anyone who seeks to provide solutions to challenges that face us daily is an entrepreneur.
You may have seen Ishmael Murihe Mwanje trailblazing on the internet scene. You will never need to guess what Ishmael does, one can tell he is an electricity expert. He defines the key qualities of business that make an entrepreneur successful; consistency, tenacity and the ability to take up opportunities when presented.
At only 26, he is running Mswahili Electric in Mombasa County. He describes himself as a humble Christian raised poor, a fifth born in a family which consists of 3boys and 3girls.
He managed to score a good 303 marks in KCPE at fuligani primary school in 2011, but as circumstance would have that would be the last of education certification.
His tenacity and resilience may come from the fact that he has had to grow to fight for a space in a system that holds education with high regard. Unbale to complete secondary education due to lack of money due to poverty. When his father got into an accident and admitted to coast general for three months awaiting an operation, he experienced what many Kenyans experience post having a sick family member in hospital, resources get depleted. It becomes a struggle to achieve the mere basic and the quest to remain alive.
In spite of that, he did not give up. At that early age, he stayed out for 3 years doing hard manual labor to support his family. Facing such adversities, he sought help from friends and family, which was not forthcoming.
It was when he came to face his mum’s pastor at redeemed gospel church in Mazeras and explained his predicaments that he would find some rescue. He promised and did send him to college 2015 at Mombasa technical training institute in Mombasa where he studied motor vehicle mechanic grade 3.
This changed his life as it gave him the skill in mechanic training, enough to join the Jua kali sector at Makupa garage in Mombasa county. This would be the beginning of his name (Mswahili) as he was referred to by colleagues, since he spoke a lot of Swahili as opposed to tribal lingua.
What would be his turning point was in 2018, August when a close friend shared an advertisement of the Kenya National Highway Scholarship for youths around Mombasa county. To his greatest hope, he fought for a chance, without knowing anyone in the office. In 2018 December he received the call that among the 10,000 applicants he had been selected in the first slot. He reported to college in 2019 January to study electrical engineering grade 3 where he later passed with flying colors.
It is in 2020 is when Ishmael came up with the idea of starting a company using the name Mswahili electrical services, but, he had no money. Upon telling a friend, Micheal kiwo, the founder of pollucare cleaning services, also based in Mombasa, he received money to register the company. Micheal also supported him in writing his company profile and pursuit of other documents.
He was now ready to market the business, getting clients and eventually decided to help the youth's around my community by bringing the skilled and semi-skilled youths on board so as to empower them plus earn something decent so that they can support their family.
Today, he has empowered 5 youths around the community, and together they are providing decent, clean, neat, and quality wiring in the community.
He says, “The safety of our clients is the first priority and our slogan is ##quality work for better connection.”.
Truly, he goes to show, where there is a will there is a way, no human is limited. And also, above that, he goes to show that the support from fellow entrepreneurs goes a long way to push fellow dreamers and nothing beats a person who is striving hard not to lose this battle called life.
What business do you have? What is stopping you?
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