Back in 2016, Kiambu-based Triza Gitau was on the lookout for a job or business she could venture into. Among the many things she thought about was Tuk-tuk driving though at first it looked far-fetched since the perception was that it is not a woman’s job. She was able to overcome that and speak to other riders so as to understand the business better, after which she went to driving school to get a legitimate driving course and license. She then secured a job as a driver for two years though her dream was to get her own TukTuk and expand her business with time.
For this, Trizah needed some big capital, and this is how Watu Credit came in – a company that provides access to affordable and flexible financing for two and three-wheelers for African entrepreneurs. Trizah placed a deposit as per her agreement with Watu, got her first three-wheeler (TukTuk), and hit the road making her own money. With diligence and a strong work ethic, her growth since then has been phenomenal, and as we speak, she owns two TukTuks, one for which she has employed a driver. She was done with the Watu Credit loan in just two years.
Her rise in this business was not without challenges, the biggest of them being acceptance into the circles. Many passengers mistrusted her simply for being female and this was discouraging enough to almost make her give up. But she soldiered on, especially for her children. The perception has since turned around and she is well-loved in her area, and sometimes customers actually opt to be ferried around by her.
Trizah starts her day at 5am when she wakes up to prepare breakfast and additional food for her children to find when they get back from school. She then drops them off at school and heads off to work until around 9pm when she gets back home. That is a simple routine that works perfectly for her and her kids, and she is able to balance work and raising them seamlessly. They are now big and she has brought them up with her TukTuk earnings.
Trizah has come to love the TukTuk so much that she has no intention of leaving it. Furthermore, she has trained and mentored other ladies and is immensely proud when she sees one of them on the road.
To other women who would be interested in the TukTuk business but are afraid to venture in, Trizah says go for it. These are not the times to select jobs since many fields are open to women more than ever before.
She is grateful to Watu Credit for starting her off on a journey she could not have afforded on her own.