Students venture into barber business to sharpen skills

Homa Bay County, Monday, April 24, 2023

K.N.A By Sitna Omar

Students of Gendia Boys High School, Homa Bay County have opted to polish their entrepreneurship skills by venturing into a barbershop business to earn some income.

The 35 students through their school club dubbed Aflateen are being exposed to entrepreneurial skills so that they could be able to make ends meet and sustain themselves after school.

They are majorly form one and form two learners with the majority of them coming from less fortunate families.

The learners, by shaving fellow students, charge Sh50 per head which they save but those from humble backgrounds are also able to pay a percentage of their school fees as well as cater for their personal needs.

The Aflateen club was established in the year 2019 under the Lake Region Development Programme and the 'teen' part of its name was derived from the word teenagers, meaning its only meant for the young people between the age of 14 and 19 years old.

Its main purpose was to equip students with entrepreneurial skills that would help them in life.

Another reason for the creation of the club was also to help students become self-dependent so that at the end of their studies, they could start their own businesses in case they were unable to get white collar jobs.

The club’s patron Mercy Karagai says the initiative has helped both the school and the students. “It has helped the students manage their time as they are able to get their heads shaved within the school perimeters rather than wasting time in going out of school seeking for such services,” notes the patron.

The club has also ensured that students are tidy and well shaven at all times besides generating money to help some of the club members meet their school fees demands.

“The money charged for getting barber services are shared among the students and those who have a challenge in paying fees are able to raise the amount for that purpose,” she adds.

All that is needed to become a club member is to table an application letter after which the interested party undergoes an interview process conducted by the patrons before he is accepted into the club.

“We do an oral interview as we also put into consideration their academic performance,” Ms Karagai says.

However, the students are required to possess some basic knowledge in shaving, whether from interacting with barbers or through experience. “What counts is their experience while interacting with barbers,” says the patron.

After succeeding in the interview and becoming a member, one needs to use his experience and skills to undertake their work as ‘barbers’ since the club does not offer classes or tutorial on the same.

The Chief Principal of the school James Okeno who is also a patron says the club’s kinyozi business has thrived as a result of economies of scale.

“It is easy for the students as they charge only Sh50 per head but what gives them an added advantage is the economies of scale,” says the Principal.

Currently, the school has a population of 2, 280 students and this provides a ready market for the future 'entrepreneurs', so they do not need to go far in search of clients.

If all of the students are shaved within a month, says Mr. Okeno, a reasonable amount of money could be generated.

The principal points out that before the club came into existence, students from humble backgrounds were having challenges in paying their fees, buying personal items, raising their pocket money as well as paying small levies in the school but not anymore.

Just like Ms Karagai, he reiterates that the club has been a blessing to these students saying, “When students are sent home for fees, these ones can even pay up to 60 per cent of their fee from their savings.”

He notes that this is an achievement on the part of the students as well as the school citing that the administration tries to supplement the remaining amount for the learners when need be as a way of appreciating their efforts.

Courtesy of the County Woman Representative Joyce Atieno Osogo, the club has a number of shaving machines as the leader donated five of the gadgets to them.

This initiative by this school to inculcate the spirit of hard work and entrepreneurship skills in learners is a step towards strengthening the young generation's resolve for a better future.

It’s unfortunate that in as much as both the national and the county governments are moving mountains to ensure they provide bursaries to needy students, they however cannot raise fees for all the needy students in the country whose number surpasses the two governments’ capabilities, nor can they cater for all of their personal requirements especially in terms of pocket money and other requirements.

The solution to this will be found within such clubs and so there is a need for schools within the nation to come up with such clubs, that not only equips students with skills but also make them responsible enough to also save the little they get to pay even a small percentage of their fees to remain in school.

Other than barbering, schools could also come up with other activities focusing on tailoring, hairdressing for the girls, among others where students could offer their services to other learners and get some income to offset their fees or other personal requirements.

For the girl child, exposing them to hands-on skills that gives them little earnings enough to meet their personal needs is imperative and would help a long way since it is mostly due to lack and helplessness that propels them to seek help from outside where they end up falling prey to sex pests resulting in early pregnancies and HIV infections.

Clubs could be formed not solely for the purpose of income generation, but students could also engage in activities that nurture talent, or directly impact lives.

Moreover, the hands-on skills gained in school would keep them busy in future, preventing them from venturing into dreadful criminal activities for money, or in the worst case scenario, being radicalized into violent extremism.

Courtesy K.N.A