Damaris Wanjiru Muriithi, popularly known as Damaris Wa Dama Spares, has shared the story of her rise from humble beginnings. Speaking on the Lessons at 30 podcast with Dr Ofweneke, she revealed how a small salary and a disappointing grade shaped her future.
The disappointment of a C+
Damaris finished her secondary education in 2009. She was a top student who consistently scored high marks in school. However, her final result was not what she anticipated.
"I was so disappointed because I expected an A or B because back in school hizo term zingine zote nilikuwa napata hizo A, B," she said. This academic setback left her feeling uncertain about her path to university.
Hardship in the village
Life at home in Subukia was a struggle. Her family often lacked food and faced frequent school fee arrears. To survive, the entire family performed manual labour, weeding maize fields to buy basic meals.
The 1,500 Shilling rescue
To avoid the hunger at home, Damaris moved to Kirinyaga to stay with her aunt. After taking computer and tailoring courses, she was offered a job at a small shop. This role involved selling airtime and charging mobile phones for customers.
The pay was very low by modern standards.
"In a nearby centre, I was employed in a kioki selling phone chargers, scratch cards and other phone accessories. Nilikuwa nalipwa 1,500 a month of course hiyo ndio mshahara. That was in 2011," she revealed. Despite the small amount, this job was her rescue. It introduced her to the telecommunications market and gave her the experience she needed to move to Nairobi in 2012.
Building the Dama Spares empire
After working for various employers in Nairobi and learning the trade, Damaris opened her own business in 2017. She started with 500,000 Kenyan Shillings in savings. Her business philosophy was simple: never let a customer leave empty-handed.
"Hakuna customer wangu hata mmoja alitoka kwa duka bila kununua anything."
Today, Damaris is a prominent entrepreneur. She has expanded from selling spares to dominating the mobile repair industry. She maintains that resilience and honouring those who helped her "cross bridges" are the secrets to her success.
