When Nyawira Kibuka got pregnant on her 30th birthday, she worked at a professional service firm where she was required to dress in a presentable manner as her job involved meeting clients and making presentations to executives. Her dilemma, like most pregnant women, will attest to, was finding appropriate clothing to wear to the office. With physiological changes during pregnancy, it can be quite a challenge stepping out in confidence as pregnancy clothes are next to impossible to get.
“A major designer store in town did not change their stock throughout my pregnancy. So, many pregnant women are forced to shop for maternity wear at the second-hand market, where sometimes, the clothes are faded, a button is missing, and it is an uphill task to get an outfit that fits.
“I asked myself, is this was what pregnant women have to go through? That sparked an idea of starting a business that would provide decent maternity wear for pregnant women. This would
go miles to reduce their frustration,” said Nyawira. After the birth of their daughter, Nyawira’s husband, Lucas Kibuka Maranga gave her Sh50,000 to purchase her first consignment
and mentored her on managing a business, including how to price the items. Nyawira then sent an SMS to all her phonebook contacts and within a short time the
stock had cleared.
“This was clear proof that there was a demand for trendy maternity wear and my husband, hence, coined the business name Trendy Mums,” she said.
GROWING BUSINESS
In 2010, Nyawira registered the company with an aim of providing fashionable quality maternity wear for mums who wanted to remain trendy during their pregnancy, breastfeeding season, and beyond.
