African Woman and Child Feature Service

As Margaret Wathiongo stocked her business in December 2007 in anticipation of a great new year that would bring in good profits, she never thought the world would turn upside down on her.

She had traveled to Kampala, Uganda in mid December to purchase clothes, shoes and other commodities for her clients. Profits started streaming before Christmas, and she was elated that the proceeds enable her pay college and school fees for her four children without difficulties.

But as the 46-year-old was planning to go for another stock, hell broke loose immediately the December presidential results were announced.

“My house at Maraba estate that I had built in 1996 at a cost of Kshs 1.6 million was burnt to the ground. Also burnt was my stall with shoes and clothes worth over thousands of shillings,” recalls Wathiongo.

Her poultry and dairy project she had established using Sh 1.2 million she got from selling her plot in Nairobi also went up in flames.

With such destructions, she did not know what to do to pay school fees for her three children: two at college-one a Nursing student at Moi University and the other at Kenya Institute of Management student. Another child in form three also needed attention.

Besides this, they had to think on how they were going to repay loans they took from various banks to boost their business.

“A the moment I have a balance totaling to Sh 126,000 from cooperative bank and Shs 360,000 from Kenya commercial bank. My husband servicing a loan of shs 300, 000,” says Wathiongo, who lived in Kakamega for over 42 years.

Their lives have now been reduced to Internally Displaced Persons staying in one of the camps in Kakamega.

Tired of this kind of life, her husband has already asked for a transfer to another district. But they are wondering on how to get a house whose monthly rent is about Sh 1,000.

“This is what we can raise for now. But we are determined to see things change for the better,” she says.

Also suffering somewhat the same fate as Wathiongo is Ms. Sophia Osaji, whose charcoal business has experienced huge losses.

Osaji at her kiosk

A mother of five, Osaji used to sell 10 sacks of charcoal in a week before the post-election violence. Now she sells barely one sack in the same period.

“I lost all my goods since the post election violence broke out. Even getting money for restocking remains a huge problem for me,” Osaji says.

Her vegetables, tomatoes and onions business, which used to supplement her charcoal income, was not spared either. Fortunately, she has struggled to continue trading in this perishables, with the proceeds enabling her to meet her daily needs.

Divorced in 1996, the 47-year-old Osaji says she has no option but to revive the business that is a lifeline to her children’s wellbeing.

“Election violence pushed me many steps backwards, but I am not ready to let what happened to destroy me and my children,” a determined Osaji says.

The way she started her now destroyed business with Kshs. 200, so is she going to struggle to revive what she loves most-making through trading.

For now, she is lucky that her first born’s fees at Garissa Teachers College is being paid by a well wisher.

“It was just luck that the white man offered to help my son after hearing his story,” says Osaji.

Her hopes to return where she was before the election will depend on whether she secures a small loan from a women’s group she belongs to or the government.

“With the loan, I am confident we can go back to the brighter days.”