In the dry Kitui County of Kenya, where the heat is strong and the soil can be tough for farmers, Grace Mwende created a successful life from very little.
Her story started ten years ago at a small roadside stall with just a few bruised watermelons and a big dream.
Grace was born in the early 1980s to a family of farmers. Growing up, she helped her family grow maize and millet, but they often struggled to have enough food, especially during the dry season.
Her family could only afford to send her to primary school, so Grace learned to trust her instincts and the lessons of nature.
By her late teens, she was helping her mother sell extra vegetables at the local market. There, she noticed that many people wanted watermelons. Unlike other crops, watermelons were always popular because they were juicy and refreshing in the hot weather.
Grace borrowed Sh5,000 from a local women’s group and bought some watermelons from a farmer in a nearby area. With no vehicle to carry them, she used a borrowed bicycle, pedalling under the weight of the fruit and her dreams.
On her first day selling, it was tough—customers haggled a lot, and she sold only half of her watermelons. But Grace was smart.
She started slicing the watermelons into smaller pieces, making them affordable for workers and schoolchildren with limited money. By the end of the week, she sold out and made back double what she spent.
This small success inspired Grace. She reinvested all her money into buying more watermelons, this time directly from farmers to save money.
Within a year, she saved enough to rent a small piece of land to grow her own watermelons. She learned how to make the most of Kitui’s sandy soil, ensuring her crops still got water.
Grace dug small wells by hand and created a simple drip irrigation system using old plastic bottles. With guidance from a local agricultural officer, she improved her methods.
Her first harvest brought in 2 tons, and she sold them at a good price in Nairobi, earning Sh50,000—more money than her family had seen in years.
A new business friend connected her with Kiwanga Doctors, where she learned about business skills and protections. Kiwanga doctors also offered her magic rings and business loan spells.
Then, a severe drought hit, and her shallow wells could not provide enough water. Debt collectors came to her door, and she thought about giving up her dreams to find a safer job as a domestic worker in the city.
Instead, she went to Mombasa, where she learned about hybrid seeds that could survive tough conditions. With a loan from a microfinance group, she bought these seeds and planted them again.
Her next harvest produced 5 tons, and she began selling in not just Nairobi but also smaller towns in Eastern Kenya.
Her business grew, and she bought 10 acres of land and a secondhand pickup truck. She also hired local women, many of whom were single mothers, providing jobs that helped support their families.
Grace started making more products with her watermelons, like juice and dried seeds for snacks. These items became popular in supermarkets, where customers wanted local, healthy choices. After three years, her yearly income surpassed Sh10 million.
With help from Kiwanga Doctors, her business continued to thrive. The real turning point for Grace came when she went to an agribusiness expo in Nairobi.
There, she met an exporter who needed reliable suppliers of fresh produce for markets in the Middle East. Grace confidently presented her business, and the exporter was impressed and signed a contract on the spot.
This deal opened doors for her to export 50 tons of watermelons each year to Dubai and Qatar, greatly increasing her income.
Later, she decided to leave the watermelon business and move into real estate. Now, she owns properties in both Nairobi and Kitui towns.
For more information about Kiwanga Doctors’ services, you can contact them by phone at +254116469840, email them at kiwangadoctors@gmail.com, or visit their website at www.kiwangadoctors.co.ke.
