When the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered schools and businesses in 2020, Elizabeth Nyambura’s life changed overnight. A beauty therapy lecturer in Thika at the time, she suddenly lost her job and was left with rent arrears, two children to feed, and no income.
But instead of giving in to despair, Nyambura turned to the one tool she still had—a shaving machine she had been using on her son. She began offering door-to-door barber services, braving ridicule as she walked through estates with her kit in hand.
“I was disappointed and stressed after losing my job, but I did not have the time to feel sorry for myself. I had two children to feed. I had to do something quickly,” she recalls.
Her determination soon paid off. Nyambura built a loyal customer base and later secured a Sh200,000 loan that enabled her to set up Meditouch Therapy Centre in Jogoo Kimakia, Thika. Today, her state-of-the-art barbershop and massage parlor earn her more than Sh200,000 a month.
With the business proceeds, she has educated one child through college and another through high school. Her enterprise has also created jobs for young women such as Damaris Mumbi and Mercy Muthoni, who credit Nyambura with transforming their lives.
“Elizabeth is not just an employer. She has mentored me in massage therapy and client service. She is like a friend and role model,” Muthoni says.
Nyambura’s story is also breaking gender stereotypes. In a male-dominated industry, she has proven that women can thrive in jobs once seen as strictly for men. Her success has inspired other women to pursue opportunities in manual trades as a route to financial freedom.
Her vision does not stop at business growth. Nyambura hopes to open a training college to equip others with barbering and therapy skills.
From walking the streets with a shaving machine to running a thriving enterprise, the single mother of two embodies resilience, risk-taking, and determination. Today, she says she is proud that her business not only pays for three rented premises and her family’s needs, but also allows her to save for future investments.
In her journey, many women see not just a barber, but a trailblazer redefining what success looks like in Kenya’s service industry.
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