Kenyan rides on US diaspora events to fire up her cooking business

A section of the crowd at a past street bash in US. PHOTO | COURTESY 

In Summary

• Unlike in Kenya where working in a bank arguably comes with pride and a good remuneration, what Linda makes at this bank can barely put food on the table or provide a roof over her head.
• But rather than having another job that would take her away from her son when he comes home in the evening, Linda has decided to make her passion for cooking a source of extra cash.
• In a span of less than two years since she officially registered her business — MotoMoto Kitchen — Linda has experienced continued growth, thanks in part to her aggressive marketing skills but mostly due to Kenyan-based annual community events like Jersey 254 Street Bash.

By CHRIS WAMALWA
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GLASGOW, DELAWARE

US-based Kenyan ‘MotoMoto Kitchen’ TV show host Linda Stewart Jalang'o knows first-hand the meaning of “hustling” to survive in America.

As a single mother of a seven-year-old son, Walter Ologi, Linda has to wake up very early in the morning to get him ready for school.

“I wake up at five in the morning to give my son a shower, get his lunch ready before I drop him at school. In between getting him ready for school and dropping him at school, I also get ready for my day job,” said Ms Jalang’o.

Her day job involves working in one of the world’s largest banking institutions as a customer service manager.

However, unlike in Kenya where working in a bank arguably comes with pride and a good remuneration, what Linda makes at this bank can barely put food on the table or provide a roof over her head.

This is the reason she has established her Motomoto Kitchen business based in Bear, Delaware.

“The struggle for a single mother and an African woman in America is real and relentless. That is why you find most people having two or three jobs just to make ends meet,” she said.

But rather than having another job that would take her away from her son when he comes home in the evening, Linda has decided to make her passion for cooking a source of extra cash.

“After getting the orders from my clients, I prepare the dishes in the evening. I cook at night after I’ve tucked my son in bed. And, yeah, you can say my cooking business is my second job,” she said.

In a span of less than two years since she officially registered her business — MotoMoto Kitchen — Linda has experienced continued growth, thanks in part to her aggressive marketing skills but mostly due to Kenyan-based annual community events like Jersey 254 Street Bash.

Linda Jalan'go Stewart displays some of the dishes she would be selling at a diaspora event for Kenyans in US. PHOTO | COURTESY

VERY SUPPORTIVE
“The Kenyan community has been very supportive and summer events like the Jersey 254 street bash have been a very appropriate and important forums for me,” she said.

This year, the New Jersey's annual street bash will be held on Saturday July 4 at 162 Miller Street in Newark, NJ from noon to 8pm.

Street bash is a carnival-type event that caters primarily to Kenyan families from all backgrounds.

“It was born out of the desire to create a large unifying event that celebrates Kenyan culture and heritage, while providing a platform for attendees from all walks of life to meet, network and re-connect with friends and family.

Various Kenyan businesses and organisations have successfully used this event to advertise their products and services, effectively using this very rare gathering to expand and grow,” said Lloyd Osunga, one of the organisers of the event.

This year, Linda Jalang’o Stewart will be one of Kenyan businesses that will have a stall at the venue.

“During the street bash we will be selling samosas, which is our number 1 brand for beef, chicken and vegetables in small orders. We will also do large deliveries to be picked up and pre-cooked platters for beef. We are also going to be selling appetisers or finger foods like sausages and cheesy chicken rolls,” she said.

According to the organisers, the street bash has continued to grow from year to year.

“From the onset, it has been a resounding success with between 600–2000 people attending the weekend activities.

The street bash has drawn not only from the New Jersey, New York areas but also from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland and DC areas.

It is often dubbed the “Kenyan re-union of the summer,” says Kevin Kiguru, aka DJ Kevo,

“Apart from live entertainment and quality Kenyan food, we provide activities for children such as bouncing castles and face painting, making it an all-inclusive family affair. We also feature an outdoor barbecue on Sunday while on the other days, we have daytime family activities such as bowling” says Jeremiah Maore of Jahazi Entertainment.

Mr Maore says the night-time entertainment is a well-balanced programme that covers all nights of the event, essentially making all nights equally attractive to those attending.
Over the years, the Jersey 254 has developed a reputation as a forum that brings big names from Kenya in the entertainment industry.

“Since the beginning, we have featured huge household names in the music industry that include Nameless, Nonini, Jua Cali, Jaguar, Redsan, DNA, Mr Lenny and the Longombas.

We have also hosted several DJs and other entertainers from Kenya like Adrian, Pinye, Joe Mfalme, Kriss Darlin, Eric Omondi, Churchill, and Nyambane,” said Mr Osunga.

This year, the showstoppers will be the 2015 BET Awards nominees — the Sauti Sol band.