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| Condoms and Dildos are part of the products sold by the student. | Allsenses.writtersguildke.com |
SEXUAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: ‘THIS IS LEGAL BIZ’
Wangari Maina* is just an ordinary student. But her business is by all means not ordinary. No wonder her pockets grow deep by day.
By Abuta Ogeto and Mercy Kendy.
Wangari Maina’s business tells really much about the sexuality of university students. While many of them feel shy to order for pregnancy test kits in pharmacies and chemists, Sheila saw an opportunity to cash in. She secretly sells the test kits to KU and JKUAT students, with the help of her cousin at averagely 150. But in instances where she has to explain how to use it, she can charge up to 200.
Chemist in Ruiru
Wangari got into the business with the help of her boyfriend who owns a chemist shop in Ruiru bypass. “He is the one who introduced me to the suppliers where I buy them at sh. 40 each. Ordinarily, the kits cost sh. 50 in public hospitals/facilities and approximately 100 from chemists. But because she delivers secretly to your room, she charges sh. 50 more. In a good month, she can sell 200 kits in the two institutions and has so many referrals. “We make around 20,000 a month.” Surprisingly, she explains, a number of my clients are male students who perhaps want to prove for themselves if their partners’ pregnancy claims are real.
Couples with these, she has several packs of condoms which she delivers to her clients secretly in nicely wrapped packages. It may seem that no one can be interested, but Wangari in the short time we interviewed her, a number texts and calls asking for her products interrupted our conversation, much to our awe. “I deliver nearly 400 pieces a month, mostly in the evening and Fridays”, the Education student taking Kiswahili and CRE told The Campanile.
The high number of buyers depicts the heightened sexual activity among campus students.
The Unexpected
But while that rests, there is much more than you could imagine. The lady also has clients with more than ordinary needs. Some ladies have in a number of occasions asked her to buy and deliver to them dildos. On probing further, she was reluctant and urged us to finish up because she had class and business matters to catch up with.
From the sex toys market, we gathered that a simple dildo goes for at least 2,000 while the sophisticated ones, which include vibrators, go for as much as 15,000. And in such market, the Westlands based source told us that buyers do not bargain. One can only imagine how much they are able to realize in a good month.
Luxury in Sex appetite.
Wangari’s business, interestingly, has been able to fetch her at least 60,000 monthly. This has afforded her a cosy lifestyle, or so to speak, for a student who turned 20 on February 6. Her crib in Ruiru, near JIPAN hostels depicts it all. From her fancy curtains, the comfy couch as you stare at the 42 inch screen, the lovely Sony hometheatre system, one could envy the good things her “condom(ed) money” has brought to her disposal. “Sometimes I wonder if I would ever teach because I will find it hard going for a salary way cheaper than what I earn now, stress freely”, the Anglican church member told the writers.
So what next for her business? The soft spoken lady is establishing chemists in Ruiru and Roysambu. “I have bought the stock, what I am remaining with is the money to furnish the shops and employ people to sell there. That will take me approximately 100,000”, she revealed.
Ksh. 150,000
With that in place, in at least three months time, Wangari will be pocketing nearly 150,000 a month. This is what, if she was employed as a teacher, would take her at least 15 years in the profession, in order to rise through the ranks to a principal of a school.
The issue of abstinence has always been met turbulently by sexually active youths. As much it is a sign of sexual purity, most of the youths; especially campus students find it worthless a sacrifice to forgo the pleasure as societal and religious norm demands. This has given rise to a new way of maintaining an active premarital sex life with less hustle; the use of contraceptives. Should we abstain or use contraceptives?
Condom Dispensers
Each hostel in main campus has condom dispensers regardless of the gender of the occupants. This has created a heated debate among students who think that condoms are promoters of premarital sex and those who think that condoms are safe as long as sex is concerned.
“Personally, I don’t see the effects of placing condoms in hostels. If actually they help, why then abortions are still experienced?” asked a female student who resides in Nyayo 2. “Sexual purity is the only way to go!” she added.
Pregnancy, not part of Sexual ‘Contract’
Sex is a mutual understanding between the man the lady but pregnancy isn’t part of the agreement as many men say. Reason is; they believe that only the lady understands best her menstrual cycle and she shouldn’t oblige to sexual hunger when not in her ‘safe’ days.
“When the desire comes, I respond cautiously but the lady should inform about her cycle first,” said a third year male student who sought anonymity.
With all these questions lingering in mind, one can only understand why the likes of Wangari will find more and more money, while trying to give the “solution” to the lovers of flesh.
