Campus experience sharpens students’ entrepreneurial skills

Precincts of institutions of higher learning including tertiary colleges and universities across the country have over the years become avenues of thriving businesses.

A hub of mushrooming and thriving businesses that are a statement of the true Kenyan entrepreneur spirit.

What many may not be cognisant of is that many of these businesses are owned and run by the students in those institutions: born out of necessity, opportunity or even passion, these campus entrepreneurs often continue with the trade beyond the university gates.

They understand customer trends; in most cases, fellow students are giving them a niche over the local community’s entrepreneurs/businesspeople.

Kenya News Agency spoke to some student entrepreneurs from the Murang’a University of Science and Technology (MUT), a leading public university in central Kenya, known for its focus on science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Martin Kanyaru, a second-year arts and social sciences student, runs the Mwireri Malimali shop; ‘Mwireri’ is Kikuyu for ‘one who is trying to grow’. And true to this, his small shop trading in malimali items is a true statement of the entrepreneurial spirit in him.

“I come from a humble background, and even joining the university was not easy for my parents, so when I saw an opportunity, I leapt in,” he says

“I trade in all household goods from beddings to kitchenware, which are a hot sale here because these are items that every household requires.”

Kanyaru says it’s a delicate balance between credit hours and entrepreneurship

“I have classes to attend to and customers to serve, and it indeed is challenging balancing the two, but somehow I must manage, so I leave my friend at the shop to serve the customers while I attend class,” he notes.

From the proceeds he is able to comfortably pay his school fees, survive and even channel some little amounts at home to support some of the projects he intends to pursue after school.

“Even when I secure a job after school, I intend to continue with this trade and to maintain my customer base here in Murang’a.”

For Alfred Njeru, also a third-year journalism and digital media student, the classroom is just one side of his university life.

“I sell ladies’ outfits, and I’m either in class, at the shop or in the Nairobi Eastleigh area selecting fashionable outfits in line with the current trends, which, by the way, keep evolving,” he noted.

“Despite having this shop, I mostly market on my social media platforms because I must balance between lectures, assignments and business.”

Njeru says running a business and schoolwork have taught him to manage his time well, and it has paid off.

“I can comfortably settle my school fees, considerably reducing the financial burden on my family, while also saving some money to further advance my studies beyond the undergraduate level.”

He notes that opportunities are there for those willing to start and work hard without necessarily having to wait until they graduate

“My greatest fear was that of the unknown, what if I don’t make sales, you know? But armed with resilience and a little seed capital from my parents, I started this business, and as you can see, it is thriving,” he says, carefully arranging the dummies donned in stylish ladies’ outfits.

While some students have ventured into trading, others have found opportunity in offering services, turning their talents into thriving businesses.

For Aisha Emitati, also a third-year Journalism and Mass Media student, her passion for beauty has become a source of income. The young entrepreneur runs a nail studio, a venture she says was inspired by her love for nail artistry long before joining university.

“I’ve always been passionate about nails. When I joined university, I started by doing my classmates’ nails from my hostel room. As demand grew, I eventually opened a small workspace where I now serve clients,” she says.

Balancing entrepreneurship with academics has not been without its challenges. Aisha attends five lessons every week and often has to juggle lectures with appointments.

“There are days when I have classes and at the same time customers are waiting. It can be demanding, but I’ve learnt how to manage my schedule so that neither my studies nor my business suffers,” she explains.

She says the venture has enabled her to meet her personal expenses while sharpening her entrepreneurial skills, proving that passion can be turned into profit.

Similarly, Mellen Onyansi, also a student at the university, has transformed her talent in hairdressing into a flourishing business. She runs a salon that serves fellow students and residents around the university.

Onyansi says the salon has given her financial independence while allowing her to pursue her studies, adding that the practical experience she gains as an entrepreneur will remain valuable long after graduation.

“University has given us an opportunity not only to earn our degrees, but also to discover our potential as entrepreneurs. The income I make from the salon helps me cater to my daily needs while preparing me for life after campus,” she says.

The four campus entrepreneurs concur that with unemployment being a major challenge in the country, it is time for the young people to aspire to be job creators rather than job seekers by aiming to transform their talents into enterprises while still in school.

By Florence Kinyua