Salim Kea is the lucky wearer of three hats. He describes himself as “a graphic designer by profession, a mentor by passion and an entrepreneur by default”.
Like many of our students, Salim faced an uncertain future after successfully completing his KCPE examination at St.Johns First Baptist Primary School in Likoni. But in 2015, he became a Hatua scholar and was able to join high school at Moi Forces Academy Mombasa – a gamechanger for a young boy who would have dropped out of school for lack of school fees.
Salim discovered his knack for business while in high school. In Form Two, he founded the Academic Cravers Club where he started printing motivational publications and offered mentorship to other students in his school. Kea turned his weekends into working days, and after discussing with his school, began printing t-shirts for his school. This period became the foundation on which his dream to become a graphic designer began.
When Salim joined the Technical University of Mombasa to study graphic design, his dream career, he registered Icon Pro-Tech, a graphic design studio and cyber cafe. Business has been booming, Salim now gets tenders for his services from individuals and institutions.
“Starting a business isn’t easy, it takes heart,” Salim says. “As a student, I still have to balance between my business, my studies, and other engagements.”
Proper planning and self-drive are key to Salim’s continued success. Along with a team of five youth from Likoni, Salim has been pitching to new clients and slowly building his business from the ground up.
In December 2021, during Hatua’s Annual Students’ Camp, Salim and his team were the first runners-up in a pitch competition which was the culmination of a two-day training process on design-thinking methodology. After the camp, he teamed up with Deborah Achieng, another Hatua student studying Design at the Technical University of Kenya. The two noticed a gap that could be turned into a business opportunity – they realized that plain t-shirts were cheaper to buy in Nairobi than in Mombasa.
Salim Kea with his team.
With the new partnership, Deborah is gaining graphic design skills while also setting up a base for a new branch in Nairobi.
Between his hectic schedule, Salim still finds time to write. He writes for several online publications: Mt. Kenya Times, Madafu, Kapshon Magazine, Opera news among others. Currently, Kea is an intern at I Choose Life Africa Mombasa supporting the Communication, Project Admin, and Procurement/Finance departments.
Deborah explaining her group’s business concept at Hatua’s Annual Student Camp in December 2021.
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