The love for adventure and travelling did not start yesterday. In fact it started a long time ago. Take for example, the story of Lord Egerton, a man who enjoyed hunting and travelling. Those two activities saw him tour different countries in Africa. His travelling inspired romance so he decided to build a magnificent castle to impress his fiance in one of his destinations,Kenya. Unfortunately, the lady turned Lord Egerton down and went on to marry another Lord in Australia. Just like travelling can inspire romance (hopefully with a better ending than Lord Egerton’s), it can also inspire a business idea among other things as it is one of those hobbies that many people share. Through traveling, people get to see and learn a lot from different cultures, view beautiful sceneries, try out different food and so much more.
Traveling has many perks, but it can also be costly and hectic. Since most people travel to places they have never been to before, finding the right mode of transport or just a nice hotel to stay in during their visit can be a hassle. This is the reason most people prefer to use tours and travel agencies when planning for a trip which makes work easier.
Jackline Cherop, the managing director of Densey tours and travel has always been passionate about the travel industry, so much that she studied tours and travels at Utalii College. Upon finishing college, she worked in the travel industry for 10 years before she decided she wanted some challenge in her career and that is how Densey Tours and Travel was born.
“Working in the industry I love was great, don’t get me wrong but I always felt that something was missing. I knew starting my own company would fill that void so I decided to register my company while still working and see what happens. That was back in 2013. The reason I registered my company and still kept my job was that I needed a safety net. I had to make sure that my company was doing well before taking that great risk of quitting my job. Eventually after a year I did quit my job so I could evaluate my life and see how I could focus on Densey Tours and Travel.”
The company offers two types of travel packages, inbound for those traveling to Kenya and outbound for those traveling out of Kenya. The young entrepreneur has also created employment for about twelve people in various departments of her company, both casual and permanent. When asked how she feels about competition, Ms Jackline says it’s healthy and shows that the economy is growing.
“Competition keeps you on your toes and makes you up your game. It also makes you want to learn new things. When more people are coming into the industry it means that more people are getting employment in this sector which is a good thing especially for our youth who are mostly affected by unemployment in the country.”
She may be doing well now but her life has not always been easy. Having been raised by her grandmother among 5 other children, Jacky managed to rise above the adversity she faced to start her tour company. Despite facing many struggles, she still never stopped dreaming and began her business with no networks. Since then, her vision has been to use Densey’ s story to motivate young people build their companies. Her life experience has led her to her current personal initiative where she sponsors girls to school and mentors them through their school lives for career preparedness.
From a very humble beginning to the woman she is today, it has taken hard work and support from her family. Through this journey she has learnt that one needs to be patient, committed and trustworthy in order to be successful. She enjoys the world of entrepreneurship because it allows her more time to spend with her family. She doesn’t have to wait upto end of the month to get a salary and she has the freedom to make decisions in her company. The advice she has for potential entrepreneurs is “don’t quit your job without a plan!”
