Akinyi Odhiambo alinunua uji mara tatu kabla kumwuliza Nyambura swali.
“Unaandika profit ama unaona cash kwa mkono na kusema biashara iko sawa?”
Nyambura akamwonyesha notebook.
Akinyi akatikisa kichwa kwa approval.
“Good. Watu wengi wanakula capital na kuita lunch.”
Akinyi alikuwa anauza sukuma wiki, tomatoes na omena kwenye Thika market. Alikuwa ametoka Kisumu miaka mingi iliyopita, akafuata mume ambaye baadaye aliondoka na mwanamke mwingine. Alibaki na stall, watoto wawili na uwezo wa kupigana na supplier mpaka bei ishuke.
Halima Noor alikuwa tailor wa school uniforms. Rose alikuwa teacher na mwanamke aliyempa Nyambura room.
Wanne walikuwa wanaonana karibu kila siku.
Rose alipendekeza chama ya savings.
“Wiki KSh 20 kila mtu.”
Akinyi akasema KSh 20 ni ndogo.
Nyambura akasema:
“Haba na haba hujaza kibaba. Lakini kibaba iwe na lid.”
Halima akauliza lid ni nini.
“Rules.”
Wakakutana Sunday baada church na shughuli za mosque, katika classroom tupu ya Rose.
Nyambura alileta notebook mpya.
Title:
**CHAMA CHA MAJINA MANNE.**
Akinyi akacheka.
“Kwa nini names?”
“Kwa sababu pesa isikue family money bila owner.”
Rules za kwanza:
- Kila contribution iandikwe na sign. - Cash ishikwe na treasurer, lakini withdrawals ziwe na signatures mbili. - Loan ya member iwe na amount, reason, repayment date na interest ndogo iliyokubaliwa. - Hakuna husband, brother, cousin au mother-in-law kuchukua kwa “emergency” bila meeting. - Member anaweza kutoka baada notice na settlement. - Business investment itenganishwe na personal loan. - Minutes zisomwe next meeting.
Halima akasema:
“Manze, wewe unataka chama kama bank.”
“Bank ina building. Sisi tuna notebook. Ndiyo maana rules ni muhimu zaidi.”
Rose akawa chair kwa miezi sita. Halima treasurer. Nyambura secretary. Akinyi procurement lead.
Week ya pili, brother wa Akinyi alifika. Alitaka KSh 120 kwa hospital transport ya mtoto.
Akinyi aliomba chama imkopeshe.
Nyambura akasema meeting inaweza kuidhinisha emergency loan, lakini brother sign na Akinyi guarantee.
Akinyi akakasirika.
“Mtoto anaumwa.”
“Ndiyo maana tuandike haraka.”
“Unadhani nitakimbia?”
“Hapana. Lakini kesho tukikataa cousin wa Halima, atatuuliza kwa nini yako haikuandikwa.”
Halima akakubali.
Loan ikaandikwa, KSh 120, repayment KSh 30 kwa wiki.
Brother alisign kwa thumbprint.
Mwezi mmoja baadaye alilipa full.
Akinyi alimwambia Nyambura:
“Nilikuwa nimekasirika.”
“Najua.”
“Lakini kama asingelipa, ningekuwa nasema chama ndiyo ilimpa.”
“Exactly.”
Rules hazikuzuia huruma.
Zilizuia huruma isigeuke hadithi tofauti.
Biashara ya Nyambura ilikua polepole. Akinyi alimpa supplier wa unga kwa wholesale. Halima alishona aprons. Rose aliwaambia teachers kuhusu lunch.
Wakaamua chama inunue sufuria kubwa na jiko la chuma. Cost ilikuwa juu kuliko savings.
Kila mmoja akaongeza KSh 50 extra, kisha wakafanya harambee ndogo ya bidhaa: Halima akatoa fabric bags, Akinyi vegetables, Nyambura mandazi, Rose akauza old books.
Walipata enough.
Receipt ya sufuria ikaandikwa:
**Property of Chama cha Majina Manne. Shares equal as of purchase date.**
Nyambura hakuiweka jina lake hata biashara yake ndiyo itatumia zaidi.
Akinyi akauliza:
“Kwa nini usiwe owner mkubwa? Ni jiko lako.”
“Chama itanunua, chama iwe owner. Mimi nitalipa usage fee kwenye business account.”
Rose akasema hiyo ni complicated.
“Complicated kidogo leo. Vita kidogo kesho.”
Sufuria ilipofika, watu stage walipiga makofi.
Conductor yule wa mandazi akasema:
“Madam amekuwa hotel.”
Nyambura akasema:
“Bado crate.”
Lakini sasa angeweza kupika githeri portions nyingi.
Wairimu akatengeneza sign:
**CHAI, UJI, MANDAZI, GITHERI — SAFI NA KWA WAKATI.**
Chini, akaandika:
**Jiko la Nyambura.**
Nyambura akasema ongeza:
**Supported by Chama cha Majina Manne.**
Wairimu akauliza:
“Kwa nini?”
“Watu wajue biashara haikui peke yake.”
Nyambura alikumbuka maisha ya kwanza, wakati kila mtu aliita business yake “ya Daniel”. Alichukia jina lake kufutwa.
Hakuwa tayari kufuta wengine wakati yeye ndiye mbele.
Chama ikafanya meeting kila Sunday.
Wengine market waliwacheka.
“Women na minutes?”
“Signatures mbili kwa KSh 20?”
“Waume wenu wakijua?”
Halima akasema:
“Waume wakijua nini? Kwamba tunajua kuhesabu?”
Mwezi wa tatu, savings ilifikia KSh 1,180.
Si utajiri.
Lakini kila shilingi ilikuwa na jina, tarehe na purpose.
Nyambura alishika notebook.
Katika maisha ya kwanza, nyumba ya Mama Ruth ilikuwa kubwa kuliko classroom hii.
Lakini classroom ilikuwa sehemu ya kwanza aliyoingia bila mtu kusema yeye ni wife wa nani.
Meeting ya nne ilileta ugomvi wa kwanza wa kweli.
Halima alitaka chama inunue sewing machine ya pili kwa sababu school-uniform season inakuja. Akinyi alitaka handcart ya vegetables. Nyambura alitaka sufuria na stove. Rose alitaka savings zibaki emergency fund.
Kila mmoja aliona need yake kama ya haraka.
Akinyi akasema:
“Jiko ya Nyambura already inaleta cash. Kwa nini tena sufuria?”
Nyambura akajibu:
“Because larger orders zitaongeza chama usage fee.”
Halima akasema uniforms zinaleta profit kubwa kuliko githeri.
Rose akapiga ruler mezani.
“Ndiyo sababu tuna minutes, si sauti kubwa.”
Walipiga kura, lakini Nyambura akasema kabla kura lazima waone return estimate na risk. Hawakuwa na exact future prices; walikuwa na local orders, supplier quotes na work hours.
Wakaandika table:
- Sufuria: low cost, immediate use, moderate return. - Sewing machine: higher cost, seasonal demand, Halima skill high. - Handcart: moderate cost, daily savings kwa transport. - Emergency reserve: no direct return, protects members.
Wakaamua first buy sufuria, then reserve fund ifikishe target, then machine and handcart by order demand.
Halima hakufurahia, lakini minutes ziliandika objection yake.
Mwezi uliofuata, mtoto wa Rose aliumwa. Emergency fund ililipa transport and clinic fee kama loan bila kuuza sufuria.
Rose alisema:
“Nilikuwa nataka fund kwa theory. Sasa naiona.”
Halima akasema:
“Na mimi naona why hatukumaliza cash.”
Chama hakikuwa friendship ya wanawake wanaokubaliana kila wakati.
Ilikuwa sehemu ambayo disagreement haimaanishi mtu mwenye nguvu anachukua.
Wakati sufuria ilitumika kwa order ya teachers, Nyambura alilipa usage fee ya KSh 8 kwa chama. Akinyi alicheka.
“Unalipa sufuria ambayo uliisaidia kununua?”
“Ndiyo. Share yangu ni ownership. Usage ni business cost.”
Rules hizo zilionekana nyingi.
Lakini kila rule ilifunga mlango ambao Nyambura alijua family inaweza kuingia baadaye.