Faith Kitome: A hustler and Kenyatta University graduate proves her persistence and success in business.

From hustling in university to running a footwear stall purely reliant on web advertising, Faith Kithome has learnt to pull herself up when faced with life challenges.
Starting From Scratch
She started hustling while still a student at Kenyatta University, where she got a Bachelor of Science in Applied Human Sciences with a concentration in Fashion Design and Marketing.
While at a university, she worked as a marketing girl for a few consumer businesses, and it was on her daily salary that she made it so she didn’t have to worry about her parents’ maintenance money.

“I’ve always been a hustler; I grew up despising adversity and dreaming of running my own company.” “After graduation, I had a few of internships and raised KES 120, 000 in seed money, the majority of which went toward securing space and licenses,” she stated.
Upeo Nine World began at Kahawa Wendani, where she was a student and then a recent graduate.
“I only bought a few pairs of shoes since I spent most of my money on the stall rental.” “I had an empty shop,” she continued, “but I had faith in myself and thought that over time, I would expand the business.”

“At first, I was the one operating the shop when a client made a KES 36,500 withdrawal, but the fraudsters took the phone, reversed the transaction, and cut off my connection.” On another occasion, I misplaced KES 40,000. Then there was the day my assistant’s phone was taken together with KES20,000. “On each of these occasions, I used to cry, then pick myself up and carry on with my company with the help of mentors,” she stated.

Self-Inspiration
Ms Kithome used to sell everything in one place, including shoes, apparel, M-Pesa, and tacos, but she has now narrowed her attention to shoes and cosmetics.
“Because I mostly sell online, I don’t get a lot of walk-ins.” I value one-on-one interaction with clients, which she now has due to her physical position in town.
She urges budding businesses to use the internet as a marketing tool. “You should always be expanding something while stabilizing the other, which is why I’m extending out into branding and music after being in the KU choir.”

“I’m always competing with myself, so you have to believe in yourself if you’re a young person trying to establish a business.” Start small, even if it’s simply making a page and exhibiting your things; be sure you update frequently, and never give up,” Ms Kithome said.
Ending
Youth unemployment in Kenya has reached alarming levels. In actuality, eight out of ten unemployed persons are under forty years old. Approximately 85% of unemployed people are under the age of 35. The age group 20–24 years has the greatest unemployment rate, at 19.2 per cent.

A plethora of bright young inventors call Kenya home. Just a few examples of recent home-grown innovations include ventilators, smart gloves with flex sensors, solar-powered roofing tiles, gas-tracking devices, a solar-powered light system to protect livestock from wildlife in rural areas, and innovative hand-washing machines that use foot pedals to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.