Mama Shakila

Throughout Sinoni, there seems to be a duka (shop) every 100 m. Many are thinly stocked, largely due to a lack of capital at each family’s disposal, but you can still get a surprising variety of goods from them. It makes for pretty convenient shopping.

Mama Shakila (who has as good a rapper name as anyone) has the good fortune of having the closest duka to the Volunteer Village.

Mama Shakila's duka with the usual hive of activity out the front

Mama Shakila is great value and always happy to see us, whether at the duka or around the community. She attends the free community English classes at Kesho Leo and is quite the adept business woman. Over the last year, I’ve seen her stock gradually expand as she’s been able to capitalise and cater more for our needs. (Clearly, business is good with a throng of wazungu nearby!) On my suggestion, she’s recently added Tangawizi ginger beer – the taste of paradise in a bottle – to the many other goods for sale. At 500 shillings a pop for any soda drink (AUD $0.30) it presents pretty good value.

A few months ago the duka door rusted off its hinges. It presented a big problem for Mama Shakila, leaving the goods open for easy theft at night. Wanting to help out, but not wanting her to expect everything to be free, I paid one of our fundi employees (skilled workers) to fix up the door with the fws welder and charged Mama Shakila about half what it cost me in wages – about AUD $2. It was a pretty easy service to provide really. And being the smart business woman she is, she was very grateful, but didn’t give me any freebies.

Tangawizi sales continue to be strong.