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How Kenyan Woman Quit Banking Job to Start a Successful Private Schools

Felista Muthoki Mutinda, the proprietress of St. Bakhita School, quit her stable career as a services executive in the banking business to pursue her passion for education.

The 52-year-old told Nation Africa “I desired structures that focused on an all-rounded growth of the child, organized workshops for parents, and valued life skills just as it did with grades. I didn’t see regular schools doing what I thought should be done. There was a huge disconnect between the schools and parents.”

Mutinda stated that many people around her were skeptical about her decision to abandon a 14-year career in banking to pursue entrepreneurship. Despite her lack of experience, she attended workshops and conducted significant research to make her vision a reality.

Mutinda used her personal resources, obtained financial assistance from her parents and spouse, and even delved into her pension fund to start her firm. She started with one kindergarten in a rebuilt house in South B, a Nairobi neighborhood, and eventually expanded to two kindergartens, two primary schools, and a junior school. The total number of students has already surpassed 2,700, and the institution employs 327 people.

St. Bakhita School quickly gained prominence. In its first year, it drew 32 pupils who were looking for an alternative after a nearby kindergarten closed. Enrollment had reached 172 children by the sixth year, prompting the school to expand onto surrounding estates. Within the first five years, the kindergarten had a two-year waiting list.

According to the entrepreneur, the growth in popularity of private schools was prompted by a legislative change in 2003 that caused parents to gravitate toward private education in search of superior education for their children. In fact, the number of private schools climbed from 7,742 to 16,594 between 2014 and 2020.Mutinda opened a franchise in Machakos in 2011 after the success of the South B kindergarten. The Machakos kindergarten has 53 students in its debut year.

The Kenyan government introduced a new curriculum in 2017 that precisely aligned with St. Bakhita’s educational approach. Mutinda responded by opening two new primary schools to address the changing requirements of the community.

Fanisi Capital, a private equity firm, purchased a minority investment in St. Bakhita Schools in 2020 for approximately $2.5 million, which Mutinda remarked was consistent with the school’s expansion objective.

Mutinda’s advice for others is, “There is so much potential in every one of us. We shouldn’t look at our businesses just as a form of sustenance but as a source of employment with the ability to transform society. You can take your business from one level to another by creating workable structures.”

 

Written by PH

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