Tough life: Students turn to hustles as Helb loans ‘dry up’
The Higher Education Loans Board's customer service desk at their Anniversary Towers offices. In February this year, more than 75,000 freshmen failed to get State loans after Helb ran out of cash
From tattooing, running a start-up, braiding, ‘mjengo’, selling ice cream, deejaying, they all mean one thing – a side hustle, a way for university students to make money.
Many students in universities around the country salivate at these gigs.
Anyone who has been through university will attest to one thing: one minute you have Sh1,000, next you are at Sh0, suffocating from inside, thinking, starving and living on debt at the school cafeteria.
Gone are the days when the government used to give students a soft loan to cover expenses. Now they depend on their parents for pocket money.
In this generation, it is about how good you are with your hands. Students engage in side hustles for different reasons.
Students take advantage of easy access to the internet to advertise their businesses and learn new skills.
Cynthia Sigira, 22, an engineering student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, started hairdressing as a hobby but it now gives her some change for her daily needs on campus.
“I started my braiding officially in March last year. Depending on the hairstyle, the minimum I usually charge is Sh500, so last year my friend told me to take that leap of faith and post a price list. And so I did and I have grown since,” she said.
She is fully booked on weekends and maximises it so as not to miss a cent.
“Considering the course I do, which is very demanding, it has not been easy. So I plan my schedule. I also maximise on weekends. During weekdays, I make sure I maximise on school work through group discussions mainly. Time planning has helped me so far,” she said.
Living on campus allows students to fully embrace the college experience. From being broke to having Sh100, it makes one feel and walk like a boss.
Amman Wanjala, 23, an IT student at the Kitale Institute, spends much of his time on the streets selling ice cream.
“I started this business after I realised the money my parents gave me would not sustain me, so I saved up and bought the freezer. Now I sell ice cream,” he said.
“I make like Sh500 a day if I’m lucky. Now my business is making some extra coins from the normal Sh500 because it is the hot season, and I am loving it. The hotter it gets the more I cash in.”
But unlike others we spoke to, Kariuki Michael, 19, started his business in high school. Out of passion and with support from his parents, he managed to buy a tattoo kit and now makes a dime from his love of art.
Mr Kariuki, now a computer technology student at Mount Kenya University, owns a tattoo parlour.
“I decided to get into the tattoo business because I love art and also wanted to be independent. My timetable in school favours me a lot because all my classes are from 7am to 10am and the rest of the day I spend at work,” he said.
“My earnings depend on the number of clients I will get ... Mostly I spend my money on trying to make my parlour the best.”
But unlike Kariuki, Gertrude Njoroge, 19, a health records and information management student at Kenyatta University, started selling mabuyu and kashata because of financial constraints at home.
“In 2019, my dad was diagnosed with diabetes and H. pylori and was forced to quit his job to focus on his health. My mum had to step up and be the family's breadwinner,” she said.
“I saw her struggles and decided to help out where I could. So I started taking up all sorts of available business. And that's when I became a mabuyu/kashata salesperson,” she said.
“I'd carry a bag full of mabuyu and kashata and my books so that immediately after class I’d sell the snacks to my classmates and make deliveries around school.
“I used to be paid on commission. I'd get Sh5 per packet and on a good day I’d sell 70 packets so that's a commission of sh350.”
Others do what they love. Nicole Wanjiru Waweru, 20, a student at Daystar University, started her online jewellery business in March 2021.
“I love jewellery and while I was brainstorming on what I could do as a side hustle, jewellery was the main thing that came to mind, and I always admired and wanted to earn my own money while still young and in university,” she said.
Earning one’s own money while still in university means a lot to many students, but having the mind of an entrepreneur is something different. Ms Waweru takes advantage of the internet to advertise her business and products.
“I market my business on Instagram and WhatsApp, and I sell the products to people at family events or get-togethers. My mum has always told me to make sure I ‘carry my shop with me’, so that's what I do,” she said.
“Earnings from my store depend on the day, to be honest. Some days I get a lot of orders while some days I get none. It isn't always a smooth-sailing ship. So about Sh2,000 a day.”
But how do they juggle class and business?
“It hasn’t been as tough. Because with my flexibility, I am able to meet the demands that come from my clients but sometimes it takes a toll on me especially when orders from my store come at a time when I am overwhelmed with school,” Ms Waweru said.
“It can be a bit draining, but what can you do, it's business, right?”
More students have been joining universities in recent years.
But the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb)has been unable to keep up with the swelling numbers
In February this year, more than 75,000 freshmen failed to get State loans after Helb ran out of cash, setting them up for a tough life at the beginning of their studies.
Helb said the students, who joined public universities in September, will have to wait until the Treasury gives it Sh3 billion in an initial disbursement.
