Grace Wangeci is the founder of Mama Safi Garbage Collectors, a company dealing with garbage collection and recycling of plastic bottles.
Unknown to many, Wangeci holds a Bachelor’s in Aeronautical Engineering, having completed her degree in 2010.
But how did she find herself in the environmental care industry? Here is her story as told by WoK.
Job menace
Wangeci completed her Bachelor’s in Aeronautical Engineering in 2010, and went around looking for a job.
She looked for a job for two years before she decided to pursue something else in search for a better life.
In 2012, Wangeci relocated to Kasarani and turned to environmental care and protection.
She started doing garbage collection services in her locality and landed a contract to collect garbage from a plot with 20 tenants.
“I started with a wheelbarrow and later moved to a handcart which I used to rent and pay Ksh 100 daily,” Wangechi said.
Mama Safi Garbage Collectors
With time, Wangechi had gained popularity within Kasarani and she was invited by several other plots to collect garbage.
It was then when she founded Mama Safi Garbage Collectors and employed three men who help her collect garbage at least four times a week.
“I have three people who also collect garbage and I pay them Ksh 800 a day,” Wangeci said.
Wangeci and her team start working at around 6 am when they pick thrash thrown in the streets before proceeding to their clients’ homes.
She also ventured into the recycling of plastic materials before dumping other waste at a nearby dumpsite.