Disability has not hindered my entrepreneurial spirit : The Standard

Living with any form of disability can be challenging, especially when it comes to people’s perceptions of what you’re capable of. However, as they say, disability is not inability. I was born with deformities and have struggled for long to fit in the ‘normal’ world and compete with able-bodied people. I started out making a living through gospel music, but it was a challenge. After releasing a track, I’d wheel myself around selling CDs. However, my movements were highly limited as I don’t use a motorised wheelchair, which means I needed help getting up road inclines.

SEE ALSO :‘Not everyone with a degree ends up doing what they trained for’

It would take long to sell my stock. I’d use the money I earned to go back to studio, record a new song and hit the road again. While selling my songs, I met someone who appreciated these efforts and got me on a different path by giving me capital to start a clothes business. I’ve been doing this for a couple of months now, though I still record gospel music.

For More of This and Other Stories, Grab Your Copy of the Standard Newspaper.

Both of these hustles are not without their hurdles. Not every recording artiste can raise funds to produce an album. I also don’t get as many invites to perform as more able-bodied artistes who can electrify a stage with their dance moves.

SEE ALSO :Why you should invest in your side hustle

And with the clothes business, I don’t get any special favours from county authorities; my business is treated like any other entrepreneur’s. I depend on others to pack and unpack the clothes I have on display. While the earnings from the music business vary too much to find an average, when it comes to selling clothes, in a good day, I’ll take home Sh700, though there are some days I close the shop without registering a single sale.  

We are undertaking a survey to help us improve our content for you. This will only take 1 minute of your time, please give us your feedback by clicking HERE. All responses will be confidential.

Related Topics

My HustleEntrepreneurshipMaking MoneyJobs