Mutindi inspires

Three years ago, when Mutindi Lydia Mulwa was just 22 and working as a junior legal advisor, she went to Kenya for a holiday and was inspired. Kenya is her father’s home country. This young woman is making inroads in the competitive world of event management, and for the past three years, she has been planning and managing events for big corporates in Namibia. She said when she went to Kenya, she realised that Kenyans are people who work so hard, and who sell their produce well into the night on sidewalks. “The energy and pace of life in Kenya is something else. They work so hard and always with a smile on their faces. I asked a florist one evening why he was still up at that time of the night working and he told me that if you don’t work you will die. The passion and resilience of Kenyans to empower themselves economically is overwhelming and totally inspiring and it was from there that I made a decision to start my own business,” said Mutindi, who was born in exile to a Namibian mother and Kenyan father. Getting started According to Mutindi, after the Kenyan trip, she prayed consistently for God’s guidance on which direction to take in business. She said one evening, while washing dishes, God answered her prayers showed her what business route to take. She said God told her she was going to make beautiful things and she started working on a business plan and registering her company. “I am a very strong believer in prayer and I know it was prayer that led to the decision to start Karibu Events. The word Karibu is inspired by my Kenyan heritage and it means welcome in Kiswahili,” said Mutindi. She said she withdrew her savings, which were about N$18 000 and purchased a small tent, 10 tables and 100 chairs and that is how the business started. She made her own business cards and handed them out. Later she had proper business cards made, detailing services offered by Karibu. These include weddings, corporate functions, logistical support services, décor and equipment hire. Word of mouth also helped to spread the business gospel and it started to grow in leaps and bounds and moving from small jobs to big assignments prompting her to quit her fulltime job to concentrate solely on the company. Mutindi laughed as she reminisced about the quality of her early décor and added that she sees a huge improvement. In 2012, she again went back to work and took up employment with United Africa Group while hiring two people to help her with her business situated at Bokomoso Entrepreneurial centre. She later increased the number of fulltime employees to six and the need for casual workers remains for when she handles big events. Challenges She said the main challenge young people face when starting a business is access to finance. Mutindi said lending institutions always ask for collateral, which young people don’t always have. “I want to expand and grow my business, but banking institutions make it so hard and this has an adverse effect, especially the amount of paperwork they ask you to submit. That is why it never occurred to me to look for a loan. I would rather explore other avenues before taking a loan even if I am young. The Ministry of Trade and Industry for instance runs an equipment aid scheme and that is a likely path to go at this stage in my business,” said the young lawyer who now works for the Law Reform Development Commission apart from running Karibu full time. Dealing with competition Mutindi said she is well aware of the completion in the events business but says what sets her apart is her ability to provide an encompassing service, where she provides everything for the client without or with very little outsourcing. She said this reduces the risk, as the service offering starts and ends with one provider. “I am your one-stop-shop for everything you need for your event. Everything I do, I do everything in relation to your event,” she said. Empowering She said she has made some strategic partnerships with people such as photographers, hairstylists, DJs and others usually needed when putting events together and she makes sure she uses young and black women from the community. “I want to empower young black people from our communities and this is in no way prejudice, but just an empowerment tool such as BEE because we all know that colonialisation disregarded equal opportunities for black people and our people need to catch up. If we don’t empower each other then who will?” she asked. She advises young people to be their own brand, saying it is very important to sell yourself in the best way. Mutindi added that she came a long way and learnt a lot in the past three years and the reception to her business has been amazing, but one is only as good as one’s last job so hard work is important. “When you learn you must teach and when you get you must give”, she said, pointing out that is why she is passionate about giving back to the youth in her community. The company is wholly Namibian owned and was formed on the basis of aligning itself with the promotion of youth and women financial empowerment in Namibia, so as to attain the goals and aspirations of Vision 2030. “Our business ethos is professionalism, transparency, innovation and quality service. We aim to give you service so good, it will make you say “thank you” so we can confidently respond “Karibu,” she said. Social media She said social media plays a critical role in growing businesses and it has helped her business grow in a positive way, but warned young people to be careful about what they post. “Some of the things we do now have lasting consequences and young people should really take this seriously. If you post pictures of yourself half naked or drinking alcohol all the time this is how people will judge you. Even people in companies looking for people to hire are now using social media for due diligence and their impression of you will be what they see, so always try to put your best foot forward. It is difficult to inspire trust if you don’t look trustworthy. You are your own brand,” she said. Inspiration She said she is inspired by several women including, her mother who singlehandedly worked hard to make sure she and her sister got the best education. Martha Namundjebo Tilahum taught her about customer care and to always make everyone feel important, Monica Kalondo taught her financial intelligence and always makes time to respond to even the smallest enquiry and Pewa Kadhikwa taught her the importance and love of her community and to never forget where she comes from, Katutura. “Katutura is beautiful, it is home, but so many people just want to be in town, but they don’t even think of their employees who live in Katutura. Who is supposed to look after people in Katutura if we take everything elsewhere? I want my people in my home place in Katutura to have access to me, and I plan to build my business empire there. I am who I am because of Katutura,” said Mutindi. At the moment, the Karibu brand consists of : Karibu Kouture, An eclectic fashion brand that sells authentic African and cultural infused jewellery and accessories, Karibu Chai, Promoting world renowned herbal, spicy and aromatic teas and coffees from Kenya as well as Metrica Relocations Plus, As the official country representative, providing immigration and settling-in-services as well as a host of ancillary services to expatriates. Other interests Apart from the contracts coming through Karibu, Mutindi said one of her biggest accomplishments this year was being approached and hired to be the official country representative for an American company, Metrica Relocations Plus, which offers immigration and ancillary services for expatriates. “It is a huge company with offices all over the world and they approached me, screened me and hired me. I thought it was a scam because it was so unbelievable,” she said. Passion “Business is not about quick money and there is so much I want to accomplish. “I entered this profession purely out of passion, that was my driving force and money comes later. Passion is love and when you do something you love it shows. And the world needs more people doing what they love,” Mutindi concluded. WINDHOEK NAMENE HELMICH