Story Of Teacher Who Pumped All Her Retirement Benefits To Build A Picnic Site.
An expansive picnic site 35 kilometers from Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) and overlooking the beautiful Ngong Hills has become a go-to spot for Nairobians looking for adventure.
Shallom Picnic Gardens, located in Ngong, Nairobi, is an eight-acre plot of land with well-manicured lawns and exquisite features such as conference halls, offices, makuti bandas, tents, and cooking sites.
A former high school teacher took a huge risk in the early 2000s that eventually paid off with the picnic garden, which is still thriving.
Grace Kimathi sold her home in Runda’s affluent Runda estate for Ksh2 million. She settled her business investment on an upcoming estate at the time, Ngong, in order to establish a Christian retirement center with her husband, James.
“This was the only way I could get money to buy four acres of land in Ngong town to pursue my vision,” she stated previously in a media interview.
Lack of funds influenced the couple’s decision to abandon the idea of constructing a Christian retirement center, so they decided to construct a picnic site instead.
Former high school teacher, Grace Kimathi, who founded Shallom Hills Picnic Gardens.
The woman developed the plot of land over the course of four years, investing all of her retirement funds in it.
“We built the place over four years and that is how Shallom picnic site came about, though we rebranded to Picnic Gardens,” the former teacher noted.
As the site grew in popularity, visitors pressed Kimathi and her husband to construct a guest house, which they did.
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Kimathi’s development of the picnic site has not been without its challenges, both financially and in terms of customer flow.
“You have to work hard and sacrifice a lot. You also have to have a good rapport with your clients, patients, and good public relations,” she pointed out.
Story Of Teacher Who Pumped All Her Retirement Benefits To Build A Picnic Site
