Kenya: Ali Abdi Tifo has found the secret to a successful business

Many years of experience

My name is Ali Abdi Tifo, I'm a 43-year-old refugee from Somalia and I have vision loss. I live in the Kakuma refugee camp with my family, where I work as a shopkeeper. I run a wholesale and retail shop in the camp selling utensils, kitchen ware and clothes.

“In the early days, I ran my business by drawing on the knowledge and experience I'd acquired over the years, particularly when it came to dealing with different types of customers. I used to take out too much credit, to the point where I almost went bankrupt a few times.”

In 2023, I joined HI's ‘InBusiness’ project, which supports disabled entrepreneurs in the Kakuma refugee camp. With the support of a number of organisations, I was able to take training to help me develop my business skills. I was particularly interested in bookkeeping, savings techniques and customer relationship management. The training helped me to keep my debts down to a minimum and I learnt techniques for dealing with customers who constantly want to buy on credit, convincing them to pay in cash or only allowing very small purchases on credit.

“No NGO or organization has ever looked at us. It’s the first time an organization came out to support persons with disabilities! I was surprised —‘Really, you want to work with me?’— until now, no agency has ever given us even 5 shillings.”

Developing his business

As well as training, I received a growth kit containing accounting ledger books and a calculator, as well as a grant, which helped me to develop my business. Thanks to this support, I've been able to expand my shop and offer new products, such as kitchen utensils and items that I sell wholesale and retail.

Thanks to these developments, there have been changes in my life and in my community. Now that I'm working and earning money, I too, as a person with disabilities, am seen as having value. The community loves you when you have money.

“The training I received to improve my commercial techniques and learn about and defend my interests as a disabled refugee, as well as the opportunity I was given to open up to new customers, really helped me to develop my business. But it has also enabled me to enhance my knowledge and expertise, so that I can manage my business successfully.”

I now know that the key to success is to analyse and understand the dynamics of your business, as well as to study your customers and know how to interact with them. That's the secret of a successful business!