Niss : A Farmer At Heart
Niss had always been a farmer. A vegetable farmer. She planted cabbages, sukumawiki, spinach, and kiswenya — a local herb.
It was food, yes, but also her little business. Every six weeks she would harvest and sell at the local market.
When Money Isn’t Enough
The sales gave her some money to support her kids, but it was never enough.
And truth be told, she wasn’t even sure if she made profits. She just sold, counted the cash in her hands, and because money came in on market days, she assumed she was doing fine.
Was she really? She didn’t know.
Stress That Won’t Let Go
For the past three weeks, she had been trying to figure out how to get funding for her new idea — layer poultry farming.
But the more she thought about it, the more her head burned and her heart raced. Stress became her daily companion.
Sleepless Nights And Strange Fears
At night, she couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned, managing barely two hours after the first cock crowed, then nothing until the next night when the cycle repeated.
Slowly, she started noticing something else: her dresses and skirts felt looser.
“What is happening to me?” she wondered.
“Could it be cancer? That’s what causes sudden weight loss, right? Or maybe TB? But I’m not coughing…”
The Request That Stopped Her
Before she could untangle her fears, her daughter walked in.
“Mum, it’s been so long since we went out as a family. Why don’t we go to Bofa Beach tomorrow? Judith and Jay will be there too.”
Niss stared at her for two minutes, silent, until a housefly almost flew into her open mouth.
Finally, she said, “No. Why do you kids want a posh life? Don’t you see how we’re struggling? Do you think I’m like your uncle who makes big money off his employees? I’m not spending even a dime on a ‘walk.’ I’m trying to save every shilling so we can start this business!”
Her voice was sharp, her anger louder than she meant.
The Kids Take Action
A few minutes later, she found her kids already packed, neatly dressed, ready to leave. “We’re going to stay at Uncle’s house tonight,” they said. “Tomorrow we’ll go to Bofa with them.”
Niss’s heart sank. She felt angry, surprised, and pitiful all at once.
What kind of mother have I become? What happened to taking care of my babies? To the fun we used to have?
The Beach That Changed Everything
That night, those questions wouldn’t let her rest. Finally, she made a decision. The next morning, she took her children to Bofa Beach herself.
And for the first time in a long while, she laughed. The waves washed her worries, the sun warmed her heart, and she remembered what joy felt like. Watching her daughter talking to a boy, it struck her — her little girl was growing into a young woman, and she had almost missed it.
If she kept ignoring moments like this, she would wake up one day and her children would be gone, grown, out of reach.
A Lesson She Couldn’t Forget
When they returned home that evening, tired but happy, Niss whispered to herself:
“Family first. Money second.”
That night, she slept early, peacefully.
And with that, she learned the truth — you should never sacrifice yourself or your family, even while building a business. Know your priorities and give them the importance they deserve. Money can wait. Family cannot.
To help you prioritize you life as you build your business, also read Finding Purpose On Your Farm
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See you on the blog!
Carlos Deche
carlosdeche4040@gmail.com
secretlayerske@gmail.com