When Joyce Awino finished her secondary school in 2019, she faced a dilemma; her parents could not afford to pay for her college tuition. Despite her desire to become an electrician or engineer, she decided to take a different route. Awino left her native Migori county for Nairobi and moved in with her brother. It was there she met Sylvester Okongo, her future business partner, who taught her how to install tiles.
In 2020, Awino began a business with Okongo. She was paid between N2K and N3600 for each project. Through hard work, the duo now has a business that employs 22 people for each project. They travel to various places to install tiles for their clients and sometimes have to book them hotels for places that are not safe.
At first, Awino experienced a lot of back pain from the work, yet she persevered and eventually got used to it. She also mentioned her frustration with clients who do not pay on time. In the end, Awino has earned respect from her family and friends for her new job. You can find her on Facebook’s Fieldspar tiles installer centre or on +254 729 024 320.
