By Betsy Ramser Jaime
‘My name is Violet Ngonyere, I was born and raised in Nakuru county Rongai estate.’
Violet began her education at Rongai day school where she completed primary school. Later on she attended Bridge high school and finally Egerton university where she completed a bachelor’s degree in agriculture. Following her education, she secured a job working at Nakuru Agritech company.
For her hobbies, she enjoys both swimming and watching movies. She also stays busy with her family as she is married and has three children.
In addition to her full-time job, Violet also owns a farm where she plants maize, chilis, and beans. Through her business, she hopes to double her income and have additional money to put towards food and the education of her family.
Violet is new to the Zidisha community, as she joined in early 2023. So far, she is making good progress.
With her first few loans, ranging from $19 to $279, she has purchased manure and fertilizer to boost the quality of the soil. She also planted more chilis and maize to help her keep up with the demand from her loyal customers. She envisions herself continuing to expand her farm.
After receiving her first couple of loans, she took to her Zidisha discussion page and shared, ‘As a farmer land fertility is always important because it will determine the outcome of the production. I bought fertilizer and my farm is in good shape. Thank you.’
Recently, Violet sought a loan of $279 from the Zidisha community and shared, ‘I want to thank you again for the funds and support, I will buy farm inputs at 70 US dollars and pay tuition fees for my children.’
Since that time, she also secured a loan to build a fence so that she’d be better able to protect her maize crop. Violet also decided to expand her crop selection, planting green peppers as well.
Violet sets an amazing example that even with a full-time job and responsibilities like a family to care for, it’s still possible to build a business on the side and secure additional income streams.
Would you like to make a difference in the life of a Zidisha entrepreneur like Violet? Make sure to head on over to our Browse Projects page to see how other business owners are impacting their families and communities around the world.
Betsy is a Writer and Editor living in Florida with her husband. She has been writing with Zidisha for 5 years and loves sharing the inspiring stories of Zidisha entrepreneurs. You can connect with her on her personal website.
