Jeremiah Mwangi: A trader in Nairobi who makes a living by selling leftover cabbages

Jeremiah Mwangi makes an extra Sh1,050 each day by selling cabbage leftovers from Nairobi’s Muthurwa Market. This he adds to his daily income to provide him more money than his contemporaries who rely solely on their wages.

Mwangi, who earns at least Sh1,500 a day emptying cabbages off lorries transporting the food to market, makes more money by selling leftover cabbage leaves and stalks that fall off and are thrown throughout the process.

“We are a team of three men hired by brokers to transport cabbages to the market. “When the vehicles come, we start emptying the veggies and counting them for dealers,” Mwangi explained.

On a good day, the three can dump more than five loads of cabbages while collecting Sh7,500. Mwangi then gathers and piles the cabbage leaves that fall off during the unloading procedure, in agreement with the drivers.

He also collaborates closely with vendors that sell cabbages to customers to obtain additional cabbage trash. “Customers don’t like the outside loose and usually unclean leaves and stalks that I assist in cutting off; I gather them as well to add to the remainder,” he explained.

“I can gather one full lorry carrying roughly seven sacks of cabbage wastes in a day because I am certain of the market,” said Mwangi, who walks home with a total of Sh2,550 every day.

His clients include dairy farmers from Kiambu County as well as livestock keepers from various estates across Nairobi. He has created ten connections with frequent clients over the last three years to notify them when the cabbage wastes are available. He charges Sh150 for each 90kg sack.

Source: Farmbizafrica