Many students have their best time in life – at least academically- when at the University.
Indeed, for some, it’s fun, fun, and more fun then books much later.
But having those thrilling moments comes at a cost.
First, it’s the HELB loan…
Wait..the HELB season is just crazy…endless trips, night outs, sleepovers, bash after bash…and soon, the money is gone.
From there, comrades get busy and go back to class.
But it’s just to bid their time as every end month the parent will surely top up the pockets with some upkeep money.
And the cycle returns…..nyam chom, Friday dates, beer parties..
Students in Kenya are always Broke
And so in the end, this spending culture makes students extremely broke.
Things are made worse by the fact that most prefer to while away their free time instead of looking for ways to generate extra cash.
However, with some creativity, campus and college comrades can easily raise some good money on the side.
Here are some tried and tested ideas that can help you make money even as you study;
Exploit local opportunities
Kenyan students can fill the many market gaps in campus or where they live.
I am talking of you offering services like computer repair services, cooking chapatis for comrades, selling Muturas and Chips mwitu near the bus stop, becoming the local mama mboga or mama fua (ladies, do you hear me?), doing assignments for your ‘moneyed’ friends, car wash, pedicure/manicure, and such.
You can offer tuition to high school students from the neighborhood, KASNEB CPA tuition to colleagues privately studying for KASNEB courses, – becoming the MC/DJ for events on campus or in the nearby estates, and, let’s face it, even starting your own church (we are Kenyans, aren’t we?).
Guys are also very much into football nowadays and this can be a lucrative opportunity.
Open a DSTV hall and charge people to watch games live or sell betting odds!
Earn from your hobbies
If you are not that entrepreneurial, why not exploit your hobbies for money?
You can teach things like music, dance, Karate, Piano, sign language, and even general arts, even to your fellow students.
That’s not all...
Organize swimming lessons, basketball, rugby, darts, chess, and more.
Additionally, you can bring groups of students together and charge them for a hiking trip to Mt. Longonot, or the Aberdares.
If you’re into drama, why not stage shows locally and charge?
Online Jobs
If you have a laptop, there are thousands of online freelancing jobs some quite easy.
Websites such as Fiverr.com, Upwork.com, and PeoplePerHour offer tons of internet openings in interesting fields such as article writing, photography, digital marketing, graphics and web design, and more.
Freelance offline
Depending on your course, you can work as a freelance book-keeper where you take up small accounting jobs for small business owners, and Uber/Taxify drivers (if you’ve driving skills), make-up artists (for those doing fashion), or salesperson (walk to any company and offer to be a commission marketer)…the opportunities are endless.
And most of these opportunities are very friendly timing-wise.
You just need to create your schedule to allow you to take up available openings when you don’t have classes and of course weekend.
Gain from Opportunities Back at home
They are also money-making opportunities that you can exploit with your family back home.
For instance, you can let out your room in the hood through AirBnB by collaborating with your parents or siblings.
According to recent data (Daily nation), a typical Kenyan earns shs.97000 per year from hiring out their home on Airbnb.
Other opportunities could be in farming ventures such as horticulture, dairy, poultry, etc (you have to sweet-talk mum/dad here or hire someone! )
Flipping items on Jiji / PigiaMe
A student I know has financed his undergraduate and masters from Jiji. The guy scours the site for deals very early in the morning and posts the same, same products (at a higher price) on his Jiji page and advertises.
Surprisingly, some buyers trust his page more than the dealers!
Imagine the dude earns him more than 50k in a good month almost doing nothing!
Similarly, you can also be hunting for deals on PigiaMe and promoting them on the same website at a profit.
According to this friend, fast-moving products include laptops, mobile accessories, fashion items, and some clothing such as t-shirts.
Become The campus Politician
Still, on how university students can earn money in Kenya, you can consider becoming the next Babu Owino (Now the MP for Emabakasi East). The guy was on the student leadership council (SONU) for much of his (over)stay at the University of Nairobi and he was seemingly doing very well.
This is why:
Though not all, a few Kenyan universities (especially the private ones) pay the student leaders between Ksh. 16,000 – Ksh. 20,000 per month.
For public universities, the money is in allowances- just call as many meetings as possible and you start living like a king.
Be a Tour Guide
If you want to have fun and make money while at it, become a local tour guide.
You simply join websites such as ToursbyLocals, Shiroube, and Vayable then wait for money minting hookups with tourists coming to Kenya.
As a guide, your work is to “deliver cultural enrichment, enlightening education, and an amazing time.” (Vayable,)
You can help your guests visit some famous buildings in your town, go hiking, visit local wineries, enjoy a shopping expedition, visit a monument, etc.
Become a Broker
Brokers make money- and big money. Here, you position yourself strategically to be the local reference point.
Let everybody know that you have the ‘connections’ and solutions to their problems. From helping freshers look for hostels, find some cheap electrician to fix their socket, to helping the lecturer to dispose of his car, you can do it all.
You can also connect the local greengrocer with a serious farmer in the village for fresh sukumawiki supplies, help a comrade buy a very good laptop, or even hire a bicycle.
And all these you do at a fee...
Earn from Social Media
Instead of scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter the whole day, you can monetize your social media profiles.
You first work hard targeting to hit as many followers as possible. Afterward, you start running Ads either for your own products (even if flipped) or for paying clients (small businesses and their likes).
There’s no limit to how much you can earn on social media.
Final Thoughts
Contrary to what many believe, university/college students don’t have to be broke and poor.
They should instead pull up their lifestyle socks by venturing into part-time jobs, doing a small business, or use the internet to make money.
Other rewarding measures include becoming a tour guide and using AirBnB to raise bucks.
These (plus the rest) will make university life enthralling both academically and financially.
PS: What are your thoughts on the question of how to make money as a student in Kenya ( how university students can earn money in Kenya)?