Charity Thuranira is the owner and proprietor of Samara Homes, an interior design company located in Meru Town, Meru County. The company also manufactures designer bags.
Charity’s rise from grass to grace is inspirational, making her wait for success totally worth it. Her success stems from an injustice committed against her by her former employer.
During an interview with The Standard’s Eve Woman, she revealed that the former boss had withheld her salary for four months.
As a high school student, Charity Thuranira enjoyed home science classes and was good in knitting. However, after her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, she opted for a career in catering over tailoring and was employed in various restaurants.
She worked for a few months before calling it quits to try a hand in selling life insurance.
“I sold insurance for about a year until I quit in 2011 and decided to go back to tailoring. I had this particular item that I would stitch and sell — the bedroom handbag holder.
“I made a lot of sales from it and, while at it, I got many inquiries from clients asking for help on house finishes. That is how my interest in interior décor developed,” she recounted.
As demand for the item grew, Charity sought to develop her skills and later landed employment at a company that recognised her talents.
Unfortunately, after four months of work, the employers refused to pay her and forced her to quit. She was only remunerated Ksh5,000.
“This experience changed my mind about employment. I had reached the point where I felt enough was enough. That was an affirmation that I had backup, and I could follow my dreams and set up a business. With the little cash I was paid, I founded Chetkuba Samara (now rebranded to Samara Homes),” she stated.
In 2016, Charity Thuranira set up shop in Gakoromone, Meru County. She landed a client who contracted her to do the interiors of recently constructed houses, marking the start of her business.
Samara homes also diversified into the manufacture of bedroom handbag holders, canvas handbags and organizer bags from materials such as kitenge, canvas, jeans, resin, and leather.
Though withholding the actual figure, Thuranira notes that Samara Homes Kenya’s annual turnover is in excess of millions.
