Macharia Wangui Prince, a former journalist in Nairobi, now sells smokies (sausages) and boiled eggs on the streets after losing his TV job. Macharia has learned how to restructure stock during different seasons to minimise wastage. The journalist, who was laid off in 2022, told TUKO.co.ke that he was shocked about the turn of events but said he could do nothing about it. Peoples’ eating habits change every week of the month Macharia disclosed that when he was rendered jobless, it took him one year to contemplate what to do next. With no sign of a new job, I decided to start a small business to pay my bills while I waited for something better,” he said. Macharia found a location by the Ruaka stage with some footfall, one that he found accommodating apart from the harsh weather elements, but we have learned how to adapt. It was a decision that he did not regret as he stopped wallowing in hopelessness and was soon able to put food on the table again. Navigating changing seasons in food consumption Having run the street food business for over a year, Macharia has learned to navigate its challenges and seasons. According to him, the first two weeks of the month have higher returns, but customers reduce towards the end of the month, so he had to devise ways to remain afloat. He explained that the most challenging seasons are when it rains heavily, or the sun shines too harshly, as the weather largely determines humans’ food consumption. “When it is cold, people eat more, so on such days, I am forced to work day and night to sell at entertainment joints where crowds gather at night,” Macharia noted. Business taught Macharia financial discipline The food he sells, which is highly perishable and mostly proteins, has also taught him how to control stock to ensure he does not cook in surplus. He underpinned that apart from seasons, his biggest lesson as a businessman is managing finances. This is because no standard income is guaranteed daily or monthly like he was used to in employment. “If you tell me to give you KSh 1,000 instantly, I won’t, but if you ask for it a few days earlier, I can plan myself and save,” he posited. Despite the challenges and changing seasons, Macharia remains optimistic about his business as it pays his bills. Man with PhD, 4 master’s degrees hawks vegetables Elsewhere, Sandeep Singh was a faculty member at a Punjabi University for more than 10 years but decided to resign due to financial constraints. He revealed that the university offered an inadequately low salary, which was also consistently delayed. Sandeep quit teaching because it became difficult for him and his family to survive on the salary, which led to him perpetually begging.