Baba Macharia: The Man Who Quit His Job to Sell Cabbages and Never Looked Back

On friendship, small-business daring, and why you never forsake your father’s friends.

There are people who don’t just live in a place. They rearrange its heartbeat. Baba Macharia (Mr. Gathanú to some) is one of those people.

*Look into my eyes, you will see (45+ years)*

In March 2021, our village(mates) gathered to thank him and his wife for raising a generation. This is that story: funny, warm, and full of plain courage.

From Mombasa gate to owner-of-things

My dad and Baba Macharia were small-business partners-in-crime. Their 40+ years of faith, friendship and hustle built lasting roots.

*In their heyday, they baked bread and quarried stones*

They tried everything. From running a bakery, a charcoal store, a quarry, to establishing a roadside kiosk (read madondo kibandaski). Every hustle carried laughter and grit. 😆

*Unbelievable hustles that our parents did*

From Business Partners to Kingdom Builders

In the ’70s, they pooled their grit and became shareholders of Buruburu Farmers Company Ltd, a land-buying company in Nairobi. Later they became directors of this company.

By the ’80s, their hands were shaping something different. A village feeding program that doubled as a Daycare centre. This eventually blossomed into a nursery (kindergarten) school.

That partly explains my love for working with children, but I digress. 🤔

*Nursery-cum-Church that shaped our lives (1990)*

In 1986, my dad transformed that nursery into a church. It was in those (wooden) walls that Baba Macharia found his faith. He grew into the steady, respected (church) elder we all salute today.

But my favorite story is the cabbage moment. 🥬

Baba Macharia resigned from his first job in Mombasa. Set up his first business of selling cabbages and potatoes, outside his employer’s gate . Who does that?🤷‍♂️

*Some hustles need brawn, more than brains*

No boardroom, no business plan. Just a mkokoteni (cart), courage and hustle. “Wa-Kikuyu mtatumaliza na waru na cabbage,” someone joked, and everyone laughed.

That single little step became a life.

More than business: Raising community

It wasn’t only entrepreneurship. He and his wife were the kind of parents who mentored children. They were strict disciplinarians and sources of laughter.

They served as moral examples of being forthright. Ask their seven biological children and countless adopted ones.

Our gift envelope, speeches and walk down memory lane were small tokens for a huge debt of gratitude.

*A simple token for a lifetime of impact*

Little rituals, lasting meaning

We shared old photos and group recollections that softened the conversations.

*Younger days in the community he raised*

We listened to cheerful and nostalgic speeches and a sermon about legacy and loyalty. Ordinary acts, with extraordinary meaning.

*Do not to forsake your father’s friend*

So here’s to Baba Macharia.

The man who quit a steady job to sell cabbages and never looked back. What a legacy?

On this visit, we came in obedience to God’s instruction. Do not to forsake your father’s friend (Proverbs 27:10). We paid homage and saluted your legacy.

Thank you for forty-plus years of friendship with my father and counting. A friendship that fed families, planted faith and shaped futures.

📚Read other inspiring legacy stories:

Comment prompt

How old is your longest friendship? Share one small, funny, or wise thing that friend has done.

#NapigaSaluti #BabaMacharia #FathersFriend #VillageLife #Gratitude #Legacy #Entrepreneurship #SmallBiz #Proverbs27vs10 #Kenya

Joseph Ngaara is inspired by people’s life experiences. Do you have an intriguing life story and need to share your triumph or tragedy? Email: j.mungai@hotmail.co.uk