Meet Elizabeth Nyambura, a former beauty therapy lecturer whose fortunes drastically changed when she lost her job during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Today, she is the CEO of Meditouch Therapy Centre in Thika, running state-of-the-art barbershop and massage parlour that earns her over Ksh 200,000 a month.
When schools closed in 2020, Nyambura suddenly found herself unemployed, with rent arrears mounting and two children to feed. That night, she could not sleep. But instead of surrendering to despair, she reached for the only tool she had left, a shaving machine she used on her son, and embarked on a journey that would transform her life.
“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.
Nyambura began offering door-to-door barber services, braving ridicule and hardship while carrying her machine through estates and streets.
With determination, she built a loyal clientele, later secured a loan of Ksh 200,000, and set up her own business.
With the proceeds from her investments, Nyambura has managed to educate one of her children through college and the other in high school. “I can only attribute this financial breakthrough to resilience and hard work. It has not only helped educate and fend for my family.”
Today, Meditouch Therapy Centre has not only secured her financial freedom but also created jobs for other young women.
For Nyambura, the journey is far from over. Her ultimate vision is to open a training college where she can empower others with barbering and therapy skills. “I hope in the coming years to open a beauty college to tap into this big beauty industry, given the huge demand of the courses,” said Nyambura.
Her employees, Damaris Mumbi and Mercy Muthoni, say the job opportunities in the establishments have transformed their lives.
Muthoni describes her employer not just as a boss, but as a friend who has mentored her in skills like massage therapy and client handling.
Nyambura’s story is not just one of survival, but of breaking gender barriers. In a field largely considered the domain of men, she has proven that women can not only compete but thrive.
Her success is inspiring other women to consider male-dominated manual jobs as a path to financial independence.
From walking the streets with a shaving machine to running a busy enterprise, Nyambura embodies resilience, risk-taking, and the transformative power of determination.
“I did not give up on my dream despite the mocking and discouragement. I took the risk of taking a loan and it paid off. I persevered because I believed one day I would overcome,” she reflects.
In her story, countless women see not just a barber with clippers, but a trailblazer carving a new path for others to follow.
