At 3 am, most of us are sleeping and are at the final leg of an episode showcasing in our La-la land. And while that may be so, two gentlemen have sacrificed theirs to make some money. As one is preparing dough from 5 Packets of flour, the other is busy lighting up the jiko. With speed and accuracy, they both have to ensure that everything is ready to flood the markets before your first yawn before dawn.
As students, we often flirt with the idea of making that extra coin by starting a business. But only a few of us manage to put such encouraging ideas into being. For some time now, “chapo-pancake” has become a proverbial phrase that has almost gone unmentioned in our day to day conversations around campus. All this is accredited to two brilliant individuals namely: Peter Ndu’ngu and Rogers Nzivo, who own a new business that mainly deals in preparing chapatis and pancakes.
Peter and Rogers are just your ordinary campus “boys”, who you will often meet in class or anywhere else. Peter is 5’ 5, slim and has curly hair resembling a person of Somali origin (in fact some have mistaken him for being a member of the dreaded terrorist group- Al-Shabaab) to add to that, he is God-fearing and assertive. On the other hand, Rogers is a 5’3, well built guy of a dark complexion. He is serious in character with a hint of chattiness.
Birth of Chapa Investment
“How did Chapa investments come about?” I asked them. “Hii idea ilianza 2009” (this idea came about in 2009), Ndu’ngu replied. Both were concerned with high prices charged on students by local shopkeepers around the campus, who sold a chapati for ksh15. For them, Ksh 10 was quite appropriate and within the pocket reach of a majority of students. Chapa investments (Chapa a word coined from chapati and pancakes as Peter tells me) did not commence its operations until 15th November, 2010. This was a result of the finances and logistics that were involved to jump start the business. The initial capital was a small sum of Ksh 700, an amount that was contributed by the two. This amount only catered for 6 packets of flour. However, they had to create means of acquiring cooking oil.
Growth of Chapa Investments
The growth of Chapa investments has been enormous with increasing demand for chapatis. Unlike before where Ndu’ngu and Nzivo prepared only 30 chapatis daily, increasing demand from customers has seen them prepare up to 150 chapatis every day of the week. In a bad month, they make at least Ksh 10,000, an amount they use for their upkeep and also save to expand their business. Again, they have made a milestone step in upgrading their customer service. For instance they are now using Mocality (a mobile telephony service that allows one to send a single text to multitudes instantly), email and the usual short message service to reach customers. It is through this that customers are able to send complaints, make special orders or even compliment them on their services.
School work and business
And while you and I may fall victim of complaining about assignments or other related commitments, Peter and Rogers are like circus performers who manage to juggle commitment, after commitment. Their morning shift begins at 3a.m when they start preparing the dough, handle school work during the day and sleep at 12a.m after calculating their business profits for the day.
Future Plans
In 2009, the idea of starting and running Chapa investments may have posed a great challenge for Peter and Rogers, but not for 2011. This June, Chapa investments is set to go full blown as the two open a new hotel off-campus. The hotel will not only cater for Daystar students but also the entire Daystar community. A great step indeed bearing in mind that the business is presently ran from Peter’s room at Visions hostel, located off-campus. “Tunasave juu ya hio story” (we are saving for that purpose) Rogers tells me.
As this year’s S.O.E.A (Star of Excellence Awards) draws near, the two have hope of winning the most coveted award for being students entrepreneurs of the year. Apart from our degree programs that we are so much attached to, business might just be another vocation that we might want to consider. Peter and Rogers have done it, what makes you think you can’t do it?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
DANCEOLOGY, By Peter Nyaga
If you love music and the movements that accompany it, then dancing is your thing. I don't know about you but ever since the premier of Sakata dance show, my Sunday evenings have never been the same again. At least for once, men and a few of our female counterparts who hate watching soap operas can find an alternative in the choked array of weekend TV programming.
The show, which runs on Citizen Television on the 8-9pm slot is currently on its second season ,and is most popular among the youths.This season's show has seen the emergence of the newest faces on Kenyan reality Tv, Tanya and OJ of the Tahidi high fame, a programme that also runs on the same station. For those that are not big followers of Sakata, last season was hosted by MTV MAMA awards winner Wahu Kagwe.Ok?Ok.
Oh, and before i forget, there is the humorous Jalang'o who to me acts as the gate keeper cum usher. As for his role in the show, he can keep the job. He is good at what he does, he eliminates the stage freight among dance crews backstage just before they get to perform on stage. Meet OJ one of the host who also does the microphone justice by being a good MC. Nonetheless, at times you almost get the feeling that he shouts too much, but i guess such a show needs an emphatic host. Right? Tanya on the other hand plays safe too much. Come on girl, it doesn't hurt to move around. Am sure you are covered with insurance just in case you slip and fall off on the stage as you dance or otherwise.
That aside, every week the competing dance crews have managed to come up with new dance moves and still managed to be in the boundaries of this season's theme which is "celebrating Africa". The dancing costumes are also brilliant and from this, one can envisage the creativity and investment that goes into dancing, not only for fun but also as a career.
Such a show though would not be complete without the presence of judges. As such, the judges are charged with the responsibility of deciding which group goes home and which one stays behind based on the score given by the same. The groups with the lowest score pack for home, while the groups with the highest score proceed to battle it out with each other on the subsequent episodes.
Kenyan artist Wyre, popularly known as 'the love child', Sanaipei Tande, artist and Kiss 100 presenter, and Ian of the NIX fame, are the judges gracing Sakata 2. I have no problem with Wyre and Ian, since the two can quit move a muscle. My only problem is with Sana(Sanaipei), i have never seen her dance, but then again that's me. This sought of remind me of 'can you dance', another dance show that ran on Kenya Television Network (KTN) a year or so ago. There was one judge, precisely Kanji Mbugua, who like a new born baby had no idea of what dancing entails. In fact he once admitted of knowing nothing about dancing.Why then did the minds behind 'can you dance' opt to hire Mbugua as a judge?no wonder the show was a total fiasco.
Am not saying Sanaipei is doing a bad job, but for such a show, we ought to have experienced dancers as judges.This way, the show is likely to be more competitive thus producing the best dance groups around.
America's best dance crew(A.B.D.C)exemplifies this in that the judges are all experienced dancers themselves. As a result, the show has continued to produce some of the best dance crews in America and beyond.
On the other hand, Sakata need to borrow ideas from A.B.D.C. When the time comes to rule out which groups leave and which ones stay on, the judges give their verdict in a rather lame way. Lame because, there is no suspense, at least play a sound track like A.B.D.C does!anyone?You know what, it will cost you no penny, or if it will, it's still ok, pesa iko, ama?. Talk to the mdosi, he/she will sought you out.
That said, i congratulate the brains behind this show. Just know that we are watching, and enjoying every minute of the it. Work on the flaws and make the show top class.If you are plot less on Sunday evenings, then this is the show that the doctor prescribes . Keep it Sakata.
The show, which runs on Citizen Television on the 8-9pm slot is currently on its second season ,and is most popular among the youths.This season's show has seen the emergence of the newest faces on Kenyan reality Tv, Tanya and OJ of the Tahidi high fame, a programme that also runs on the same station. For those that are not big followers of Sakata, last season was hosted by MTV MAMA awards winner Wahu Kagwe.Ok?Ok.
Oh, and before i forget, there is the humorous Jalang'o who to me acts as the gate keeper cum usher. As for his role in the show, he can keep the job. He is good at what he does, he eliminates the stage freight among dance crews backstage just before they get to perform on stage. Meet OJ one of the host who also does the microphone justice by being a good MC. Nonetheless, at times you almost get the feeling that he shouts too much, but i guess such a show needs an emphatic host. Right? Tanya on the other hand plays safe too much. Come on girl, it doesn't hurt to move around. Am sure you are covered with insurance just in case you slip and fall off on the stage as you dance or otherwise.
That aside, every week the competing dance crews have managed to come up with new dance moves and still managed to be in the boundaries of this season's theme which is "celebrating Africa". The dancing costumes are also brilliant and from this, one can envisage the creativity and investment that goes into dancing, not only for fun but also as a career.
Such a show though would not be complete without the presence of judges. As such, the judges are charged with the responsibility of deciding which group goes home and which one stays behind based on the score given by the same. The groups with the lowest score pack for home, while the groups with the highest score proceed to battle it out with each other on the subsequent episodes.
Kenyan artist Wyre, popularly known as 'the love child', Sanaipei Tande, artist and Kiss 100 presenter, and Ian of the NIX fame, are the judges gracing Sakata 2. I have no problem with Wyre and Ian, since the two can quit move a muscle. My only problem is with Sana(Sanaipei), i have never seen her dance, but then again that's me. This sought of remind me of 'can you dance', another dance show that ran on Kenya Television Network (KTN) a year or so ago. There was one judge, precisely Kanji Mbugua, who like a new born baby had no idea of what dancing entails. In fact he once admitted of knowing nothing about dancing.Why then did the minds behind 'can you dance' opt to hire Mbugua as a judge?no wonder the show was a total fiasco.
Am not saying Sanaipei is doing a bad job, but for such a show, we ought to have experienced dancers as judges.This way, the show is likely to be more competitive thus producing the best dance groups around.
America's best dance crew(A.B.D.C)exemplifies this in that the judges are all experienced dancers themselves. As a result, the show has continued to produce some of the best dance crews in America and beyond.
On the other hand, Sakata need to borrow ideas from A.B.D.C. When the time comes to rule out which groups leave and which ones stay on, the judges give their verdict in a rather lame way. Lame because, there is no suspense, at least play a sound track like A.B.D.C does!anyone?You know what, it will cost you no penny, or if it will, it's still ok, pesa iko, ama?. Talk to the mdosi, he/she will sought you out.
That said, i congratulate the brains behind this show. Just know that we are watching, and enjoying every minute of the it. Work on the flaws and make the show top class.If you are plot less on Sunday evenings, then this is the show that the doctor prescribes . Keep it Sakata.
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