To imagine that Sh. 6,000 could launch a company seems bold, but that’s exactly what Esther Njeri Njoroge envisioned. Today, she is the Director and CEO of one of the country’s top tour and travel companies, Bountiful Safaris.
But how did she get there?
Esther spent her early years in Bogita, Thika, before her family relocated to Nyahururu in Nyandarua County. Growing up was far from easy, and Esther often had to stay with relatives to continue her education.
After high school, her parents were able to enroll her at the University of Nairobi to pursue a social science degree. Two years later, Esther secured an internship with an NGO that not only engaged in community service but also managed a lodge in Narok County. Little did she know, this internship would set the stage for her path to success.
A few months into her industrial attachment, a position for a travel consultant at the lodge opened up, and Esther was asked to fill in temporarily. Her quick learning allowed her to get up to speed, and she soon began earning a salary.
“I was paid Sh. 6,000 a month—a salary I continued to earn for the next three years, until it was raised to Sh. 10,000. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish my degree because of the demanding work schedule,” Esther reflects.
She would even walk from Nairobi’s Upper Hill to Ngara to save the little money she earned.
However, she refused to despair. Instead, Esther approached a webmaster with a brilliant idea: creating her own website to market her own tour and travel business. She named it Bountiful Tours and Travel Safaris, later shortening it to Bountiful Safaris. The website cost Sh. 25,000, but since she couldn’t afford it all at once, she paid in installments of Sh. 1,000 each month.
In 2009, Esther left her first job to join another tour and travel company that paid her Sh. 15,000 monthly.
“The second job was better as I started earning commissions. By the end of the month, I would take home up to Sh. 70,000,” she recalls.
Despite the better salary, her challenges were far from over.
“My boss, like my previous one, belittled me. He would often tell us we were just there to warm the seats,” she shares.
The company was owned by a couple who subjected their employees to verbal abuse. The more Esther stayed, the more she endured.
“There was one instance when my boss (the wife) openly told me I should quit and open a brothel because that’s the only field she thought I could succeed in,” Esther recalls.
That was the final straw. In November 2013, Esther quit her job, uncertain of what the future held.
During this time, Esther kept a journal documenting her struggles. Without a job or savings to start her own business, she turned to her journal for solace. But it only reminded her of her difficult past, leading her into a deep depression. She even contemplated suicide.
“I took a bunch of painkillers with the intention of ending it all,” she confides. “But, fortunately, it didn’t work. My friend found me unconscious and rushed me to the hospital. The doctors gave me only two hours to live due to the damage the drugs had caused.”
She survived, leaving the hospital a week later.
Encouraged by her mother, Esther decided to take a different approach. In December 2013, she started a Facebook page to drive traffic to her website and began seeking her own clients. That’s how Bountiful Travels was born, and today, it has over 62,000 followers.
Her breakthrough came when she arranged an excursion for a group in Mombasa, who referred her to an embassy looking to organize a similar trip. They wanted to deposit a million shillings immediately—but Esther didn’t even have a bank account.
She quickly reached out to a friend at a bank and opened an account, overcoming her first obstacle. The next challenge arose when the clients insisted on visiting her office, but she didn’t have one. A friend in Kileleshwa offered his office space for two months until she could establish her own office in Westlands.
“My older brother paid my rent for the first three months, and that’s how Bountiful Safaris was born,” she says, beaming.
Having faced numerous challenges in her career, Esther is committed to providing a better experience for her employees, particularly women.
“I now employ 12 people, and I would never subject them to the treatment I went through,” she asserts.
However, the road to success hasn’t been entirely smooth. “When I first approached tour destinations, they turned me down, saying I was too young or inexperienced. Others claimed I was too new to the market.”
Over time, Esther earned the respect of the very destinations that once dismissed her, as well as her competitors.
She still faces challenges, particularly with the misconception that holidays are only for the rich. “Many people think vacations are too expensive, but at Bountiful Safaris, we strive to make travel affordable for everyone, whether it’s domestic or international tourism,” she explains.
Through persistence, Esther has learned the value of never giving up. She now mentors others, emphasizing the importance of resilience.
“Nothing is impossible if you have the drive and trust in God,” she says.
Looking back, Esther is grateful she pushed through the adversity.
In November, Esther will travel to London to receive an award recognizing Bountiful Safaris as a unique tour operator in the Luxury Tour Guide Awards.
“God’s grace has been sufficient,” she beams.
Looking to the future, Esther plans to expand Bountiful Safaris by opening branches internationally, further solidifying her position as a key player in the travel industry.
