Meet 57-year-old female mkokoteni pusher

Grace Bosire has been distributing water around Kaloleni estate in Kisumu County for the past ten years, but it is the mode of distribution that may seem puzzling to many.

Owing to the distances that Bosire has to cover in her work, sometimes as long as 10km, the 57-year-old uses mkokoteni to make her work easier.

The mkokoteni can carry up to twelve twenty-litre jericans which she fills at a nearby water source in the estate before proceeding with distribution.

Through her commitment and dedication, Grace has been able to earn a place in many people’s hearts-especially her male colleague and clients.

The mother of 5 says she decided to step in the role since her husband can barely support the family financially. Despite all the challenges, she has been able to get by with the support of her colleagues.

One of Grace’s colleagues is Joshua Abere, who has been distributing water in Kaloleni for the past six years. To him, Grace is a mentor since he taught him the basics of the trade when he was starting off.

A typical day for Grace is different from what many can relate to. She wakes up as early as 5am and begins to make mandazis which she sells at a nearby shop before starting to fetch water for distribution.

Grace admits that the venture has several challenges that include pushing the mkokoteni for long distances and getting meagre returns for her efforts.

The challenges notwithstanding, Grace makes sure she delivers results and one of those satisfied customers in Sakina Mohamed.

Sakina says that her supplier is reliable and ensures they get water whenever they need it.

Distributing water is not all that Grace does, after work she dresses up to attend to other duties to supplement her earnings.

Grace has urged the government to reach out to women like her and empower them while encouraging other women not to discriminate jobs.

By Fidel Abaja