There are no shortcuts to any place worth going, so goes the quote by Beverly Sills — an American opera singer who lived from 1929 to 2007.
A 33-year-old man in Webuye town has strived to measure up to this quote. Joseph Keya has beaten the odds in his quest to improve his life.
Despite dropping out of school after getting his KCPE exam results, he never gave up. He says the desire to lead a better life has been his drive and adds that he can only achieve it through hard work.
For the past 10 years, Keya has been selling roots of the Whites’ ginger plant, known in the local language as mukombero. The root is mainly chewed by men to boost their libido and rise to the occasion. Others use it to clean their mouths and stomachs.
Speaking to the Star at Sweet Waters area in Webuye on Thursday, Keya said he joined the business after completing his primary education in his Eshibinga village, Khiwesro constituency, Kakamega county. His parents could not raise fees to enable him to get admission to a secondary school. That marked the end of his formal education.
Many a candidate faced with similar predicaments lost hope but not Keya. He went out of his way to earn a living. At first, someone hired him to sell mukombero. He got a commission for two years and later used his saving to start his own mukombero business.
Keya hawks the roots in bars, markets and other places. He makes at least Sh300 profit a day. Previously, he got the roots from Kakamega and Malava forests, but the plants can hardly be found in the region nowadays. Hence, he has to order from Uganda.
“I get these roots from some people in Uganda at different prices. They sell to us in the Malaba border town,” he said.
“Some people mix mukombero with groundnuts and others with simsim [sesame seeds] and believe will help them last longer in bed.”
Some of his customers told the Star the roots have been used since time immemorial “to help men perform well in bed”.”If you want to give birth to strong children and healthy ones, you just consume this mukombero,” Perte Wafula said.
The root has varieties. Keya said those that are yellow inside are better than those that are white. The best ones have a bitter taste when once begins to chew but slowly becomes sweet.
Keya’s hard work is bearing fruit. Back in his village, he had no land to build a home. He has now used his saving to buy a quarter of an acre and is putting up a permanent three-bedroom house. The foundation is done.
He has purchased bricks and plans to get other raw materials to complete the house. This is no mean feat, especially in a country where school dropouts are condemned to a life of hopelessness. Residents say he is an inspiration to those whose schooling ended prematurely.
Keya was quick to add that he still has a long way to go. He said he has to do more to be an inspiration to others and hopes to continue improving his business and get enough capital to diversify into other ventures.
Just because one is unable to complete his studies does not mean he should have a miserable life, he said.Keya advised the youth not to pursue shortcuts if they want to realise their dreams.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
