Campus life
It was early September, the date that was clearly written in bold in the university invitation letter, when Matatizo was going through his packing list. He was set with 20kg of maize with 5kg of dry small fish the so known as omena. Matatizo had strongly condemned the advice to stay in university hostels. He had received the history about hostels from his learned teachers back in highschool and just didn't like the life in hostels. Him having everything shopped for him by the government with some pocket money, was ready to go. In his shopping was a brand new Samsung Galaxy phone which was bought for him by the government to aid him in academic research. Though he had liquid intelligence in using phones, he didn't hestate taking it. He knew very well that he was going to use the sam phone to learn how to use it.
He quickly inserted a sim card in the new Germany Samsung machine and started learning the techniques on using mobile applications. He packed a 50kg bag of charcoal to gather for cooking energy. He also packed some traditional foods like casavas, cowpeas, mushrooms and several pieces of sugarcane. With this, he was ready to go. He leaves his cottage open for his young brother Bangalia to take care of it. From his Ubwadog village, he walked in an academic angle with a laptop being held in the right hand and the left hand carefully holding the phone. On his back was black bag gifted to him by his former highschool. He was escorted by his family to board a vehicle. Bangalia was pushing a loaded borrowed bicycle all heading to the stage.
On arrival at Blackjack university, Matatizo first moved towards the non residential apartments to book a room before he could go on with the admission process. Matatizo was always lucky and this time round he found one iron sheet house costing Ksh. 800. This though appeared much to him because his budget was Ksh. 350 but he accepted the offer because it was the charges at Blackjack university. He decided to make arrangements in the house before going on with admission process. An African house is always arranged with the television position in mind so Matatizo was also not left behind in this though he did not own a television.
Maize being his priority, he decided to look for wooden frames on which he placed his maize at the far end corner of the house just opposite the bed. He bought three plates, two cups, two spoons, a knife and two pieces of aluminum saucepans.He successfully set the house in order and moved towards the school administration block. With his documents at hand, he was verified and admitted at Blackjack university in the school of physical and applied sciences to purse his degree in forensic science. Being the first week in school, there was no learning because the school was busy in admitting the first year students.
Matatizo decided to make use of the available time to make friends in campus. Ngweze was the first friend Matatizo made. Ngweze being in second year he had learned much about the school and he would educate Matatizo too. Some of the lessons were on how to subscribe to school wifi, purchasing student portal and buying dean of students. Being his time in campus, he used his money on buying student portal, subscribing to school WiFi and purchasing dean of students. Ngweze earned some Ksh. 1800 easily from Matatizo to offer the services. WiFi was set on the phone and the portal opened without Matatizo realizing that he was being conned. He came to realize that he was conned after Ngweze had gone and he couldn't remember him well. Here at campus, Matatizo had a business oriented mind and it didn't take him long before he rented a business stall costing him Ksh. 500 per month. Him coming from a poor background was an advantage because he was keen on minimizing costs and maximizing profits. With the business stall set ready for entrepreneurship, he deceided to sell fruits. These were mostly oranges, mangoes, bananas, watermelons, pineapples and apples.
Matatizo went out to source for reliable suppliers who were cheap in town. On his business stall, he raised a wooden billboard written on " uplift me with your money as I strength your health with fruits". This name alone attracted many customers. At the entrance he had placed a second hand carpet which made the place clean and unique from other stalls. With him offering delivery services at no cost gave him an advantage in business.
He was attending his classes three hours daily before he could embark on business. As the business grew, customers were too many for him to handle alone and decided to offer an employment opportunity. He went in the school of humanities in Blackjack university to source for a liable and honest employee. He carried out a research and came to a discovery that the school of humanities had fewer classes than other schools and their classes were simple and easy to understand thus an employee from here will have more time for business.
Master himself went out to source for the best employee and made the most famous student in class by the name King Karlae. The talkertive nature and the level of socialization Karlae had gave him an upper hand in the employment opportunity. Matatizo took Karlae and trained him practically in the field of business. Now that there was an employee, Matatizo reduced pressure on work and now acted as a boss. Karlae also attracted more customers through sales and marketing skills. From a person who lived on one meal a day to a person who was having two meals a day. Before the business grew, Matatizo was surviving only on Ugali which he was cooking late in the evening, ate some and spare some for breakfast. He could wake up early in the morning to eat ugali left overs before he could embark on business. This time round, the story is different. He can now have tea for breakfast served with at least a bread accompanied by "slept ugali" since he strongly believed that his body is built up by ugali.
The business now operated on shift according to class arrangements. Whenever Matatizo had classes Karlae was in charge and whenever Karlae had classes Matatizo was in charge. After Karlae receiving his money, he decided to spend it in one local bar that was famous in the entire Blackjack university for beautiful bar maids. This habit made King Karlae to reduce his efforts in work. He could report to work late hours and leave before time to enter Karomary lounge for enjoyment. Matatizo got concerned about this and as an educated man, he went out to do a research to find out the problem.
Matatizo didn't not even move much steps in research when he found Karlae red handed dancing with a beautiful lady at the darkest corner of the bar. He directly moved towards Karlae and wrote him a summon letter. Karlae reported at work the next day just to find Matatizo with a letter of job termination. Karlae was given his ten-days salary for that month and was told to go and never come back for the work. Alcohol had given Karlae alot of courage making him to talk back to his boss roughly. Karlae went back to Karomary lounge to spend the money with the beautiful ladies.
Matatizo had a big task infront of him. With an expanded fruit shop he was unable to work alone as the customer demand was high. He went back to source for another employee but at this time he deceided to select a lady in the school of business in the same Blackjack university. During this time, Matatizo was in second year of his studies. He decided to introduce pay bill and till number in his business to easily manage capital. He decided to go cashless transaction in his business enterprise. Matatizo didn't move from a cheap house at school despite his earnings from the business enterprise. Whenever he was asked he would answer courageously that he was not in school to stay.
From three thousand shillings start up business to One hundred thousand shillings in his personal account by the end of his third year of studies. This was the money in account after all expenses had been taken care of. Matatizo decided to expand his business and just opposite his fruit shop he rented a hotel room because he had noticed that there were fewer hotels to gather for the growing population at Blackjack university.
The son of the peasant farmer is now on the next step. With two business enterprises at hand. This forced him to source for more workers. Being in Blackjack university was an advantage to Matatizo since cheap labour was readily available from students. Matatizo purchased all hotel equipments and was ready to begin the business. As a student who had business in mind, he knew branding was one of the key factors to consider and decided to name the hotel "comrade cheapest stomach filled up baze". With this, he knew he was going to attract more customers.