BUSINESS & ECONOMY
A time like this last year, Leah Wamaitha, a Dandora resident who ekes out her living by selling samosa and mandazis in her neighbourhood, had no plans at all to travel upcountry for the Christmas and New Year's celebrations.
By Ndung'u Wa Gathua
Wamaitha's kids would keep on pestering her wanting to know when they were travelling to the village like other kids in the estate were doing with their parents so that they can too go and spend time with their village relatives whom they had not seen since the previous year's Christmas.
The single mother of two, however, knew that this was not going to be possible owing to the then prevailing harsh economic conditions that had left her with nothing to take the kids home for 2018 Christmas vacation.
"I was feeling so bad that I was for the first time not going to take my kids to our home village in Othaya, Nyeri to celebrate Christmas with their relatives, something that they have become so accustomed to, such that they are always looking forward to December holidays," Wamaitha told 254 NewsDay during an interview.
She adds: "But all my attempts to even secure a one-way fare to home, proved impossible and I had to finally tell my kids the sad news even if I knew they were going to be very disappointed. Come Christmas, I spent as much as I could afford on them but they remained dull throughout the celebrations occasionally reminding me how enjoyable the day would have been had we travelled home. I have never sunk low as I did during that time listening to my kids constant regrets."
Wamaitha, nevertheless, says that come 2019 after all the festive season madness and hype had settled down and everybody 'sobered' up, her kiosk neighbour would ask her how her Christmas was back in the village to which she would answer, "I did not travel to the village because I had no money".
"She told me that she also had none but there was a certain mobile money lending app called OKash that had extended to her a Sh5,000 loan which enabled her to travel to the village with her family. I bit my fingers severally blaming myself why I did not know about the app. My friend helped me to download and install the app in my phone. I applied for my maiden loan immediately which to my surprise was approved in less than five minutes," Wamaitha recalls.
Since then, Wamaitha reveals, has been a devoted OKash customer who borrows regularly, something that has seen her loan limit grow to Sh27,000, thanks to her timely repayment of her loans.
Mama Jayden, as Wamaitha is known in her estate, notes that even though the current economic conditions are far off worse than last year, she has no reason to worry as "I have OKash at hand which will enable me to put a smile on my kids' faces this Christmas and even compensate for last year".
You can also download the OKash app from Google Play Store HERE and enjoy the OKash experience too. Borrow and spend responsibly without forgetting to repay on time.