Why You Should Join a Sacco

Saccos, or savings and credit cooperatives, play a significant role in individual wealth creation in East Africa by providing access to financial services for individuals who may not have access to traditional banking services.

These cooperatives are owned and controlled by their members, who are typically from the same geographic area or share a common bond such as their occupation.

Saccos offer a range of financial services, including savings accounts, loans, and insurance. Members can save money with the cooperative and earn interest on their savings, which can help them build their wealth over time. Saccos also offer loans to members at favorable interest rates, which can help individuals invest in businesses or other income-generating activities. In addition to financial services, saccos often provide education and training to their members on financial literacy and entrepreneurship, which can help individuals develop the skills and knowledge they need to create and grow their wealth. Overall, saccos play a vital role in fostering economic development and promoting individual wealth creation in East Africa by providing access to financial services and resources to underserved communities.

Here is a list of some of the savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) operating in East Africa:

1. kimisitu sacco(Kenya)
2. Stima Sacco Society Limited (Kenya)
3. Police Sacco Society Limited (Kenya)
4. Ushirika Sacco Society Limited (Kenya)
5. Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) Sacco Society Limited (Kenya)
6. Thika United Sacco Society Limited (Kenya)
7. Sidian Bank Sacco Society Limited (Kenya)
8. Mumias Sugar Company Limited Sacco Society (Kenya)
9. Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC) Sacco Society Limited (Kenya)
10. National Bank of Kenya Sacco Society Limited (Kenya)
11. Kenya Teachers' Sacco Society Limited (Kenya)
12. CRDB Bank Sacco Society Limited
13. (Tanzania) Dar Es Salaam Teachers Sacco Society Limited (Tanzania)
14. TIB Sacco Society Limited (Tanzania)
15. National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Sacco Society Limited (Uganda)
16. Uganda Cooperative Savings and Credit Union (UCSCU)

This is not an exhaustive list and there are many other SACCOs operating in East Africa. It is important to research and compare the different SACCOs in order to choose the one that best meets your financial needs and goals.

Plan ya Kuomoka - One strategy that has always worked

If you live in Nairobi eastlando, there is one word that you know too well; Kusota. Kusota or being broke is not a state you would like to be in. Kusota means you have a sick child and you don’t have money to take her/him to hospital. You have no health cover. Kusota means you have not paid your house rent and you live with anxiety because you do not know if the property owner will kick you out today. Kusota is to be dead broke. 

Kusota is a state that many people have walked out from over time. People that once walked long distances to find casual jobs in in industrial area now drive Toyota - Passo’s.  People that survived on air burgers during lunchtime can now take friends for snacks amid tête-à-tête  at the highland restaurants in the Nairobi CBD. People have overcome their early humble beginnings, we can now learn from their stories.

How do people walk out of Msoto? Differently put, how do you Omoka?

When you observe people who have Omokad,  three different  patterns surface:

1. They started a business that performed well
2. They got better Jobs. 
3. All the above
   

But what is common in these three  patterns?

Capacity. Capacity  is the underlying strength behind people that got better jobs or started flourishing business ventures.They acquired new capacities. Capacity here means capability or the ability to do more.Why would Munene hire you to lead a sales campaign to push his new product line  into the market? Because he has confidence that you can do it. You have capacity. Munene is not in the business of loosing money, so are all well paying cooperates. They engage and  pay people who can deliver. You deliver if you have capacity.   

How do you acquire capacity ?

People acquire capacity through many means; the most common one is formal education. Let me explain, if you never got an opportunity to go beyond high school,  you may not for example be able to advice a firm on tax compliance issues. You don't have this capacity. Firms pay handsomely for this kind of advice. But say you get an opportunity to go  back to school at the KCA university in Nairobi and obtain a CPA K qualification? You definitely will be able to offer this service and be paid well for it. Your parents or guardians were right; education is the Key, you earn more if you have a skill.

You can acquire capacity through online classes. Our generation is lucky in that there exist credible online courses offered by reputable universities on platforms like the COURSERA.  Today I was checking the COURSERA website and I saw this course on Android App Development from Vanderbilt University, you agree with me that the ability to write android apps can surely, really pay well.  Imagine this is a capacity that can be acquired through online tutorials in under  6 months depending on your dedication.

The internet revolution has advantaged our generation; it is easier to walk out of poverty now than ever was. 

Besides formal education, one can also acquire capacity through apprenticeship and through mentorship. Apprenticeship and mentorship is when an experienced person takes hold of your  hand and helps you waddle through the mucky mud of life that often wares off many ambitious but naïve starters. 

So you want to Omoka? there is one practical thing that you can do to get started: Explore 1600+ online courses from top universities. Join Coursera today to learn data science, programming, business strategy, and more.

People Sota because they don't have a skill that can enable them offer a service to the public and in turn receive value that would enable them lead dignified fullfilled lives .

Usisote, get a skill.

Services Offered in the Kenya ecitizen Platform

The government of Kenya has digitized some of it's services.  It is now possible to renew your driving license from the comfort of your house.If you are my age or somewhere close, then you have once  queued for half a day to renew your driving license. You thus understand what a miracle it is to be able to do this from the comfort of your house.

The following government services can be offered through the e-citizen platform in Kenya.

• Business name search
• Business name registration
• Application for notice of marriage
• Application for Issuance of a registrar’s certificate
• Application for Issuance of a marriage certificate 

Farming - The New Cash-Cow Among the Kenyan Youth

Farming in Kenya is no longer the preserve of the old and those with no formal education. Ambitious young men and women with blue collar degrees have turned to farming to realize their dreams. One such young man is Reuben Lukhazwa.

Kenya is a hotbed of innovations like the M-pesa and many others

Sometime back in 2015, CNN caused a storm on twitter by referring to Kenya as a hotbed of terrorism. Kenyans in their thousands rushed to twitter to voice their displeasure under the hashtag: "someonetellCNN". 

The hashtag was trending globally just hours after the offending remarks were made and earned a mention by BBC, the independent UK and other reputable media houses .

GHRIS – Government Human Resources Information System.

In an effort to make all government processes digital, the Kenya government has created a Government Human resources information system (GHRIS) website,  where government employees can download their pay slips. This is the Link to the website :  GHRIS LINK!  Click on the link to be directed to the official government website.

Google Adsence makes blogging a viable business venture

A Young Kenyan Considering His Options at Uhuru Park.

Google AdSense is a program that enables website and blog owners to earn money  by showing Google adverts on their sites. This program makes blogging a viable business venture.

To benefit from this program, one has to have a blog or website that has content. Content could be stories, reviews, videos, photos, classified postings, news e.t.c

In this article,we take you though the basics of  setting up a blog, developing content for the blog and monetizing it or turning it into a business.

Domain name - the first step in setting up a blog
Setting up a blog begins with a  decision  on  what will be the domain name of your blog. The domain name is  visible unique identifier of your blog.I can equate  it to a business name.It will have an extension like .com .org .co.uk, .blogspot.com etc. It is you to choose which extension you want. “.com” is always recommended, although it is now never always available for most common names.