After completing her degree in chemical engineering Nancy Obonyo was hit by the realities of unemployment, tarmacking in Kenya, for about two years.
When she realized that she would not catch a break in the country after countless job applications, Nancy made a daring decision, packing her bags and moving to Bangkok, Thailand to pursue a Master’s degree.
Studying in Bangkok renewed her hope of enhancing her employability and it wasn’t long before she landed a job as a market research analyst at a start-up. Although the pay was little, it was a good start.
In a past interview with a local publisher, she narrated that she quickly looked for a teaching job in a primary school in the country.
“After failing to land a job for about one-and-a-half years after my undergraduate studies, I decided to pursue a Master’s degree with the hopes that I’d be more employable.
“I first landed a job as a market research analyst at a start-up in Bangkok. It didn’t pay much and later I looked for a teaching job, which I hold up to now,” she said.
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Nancy Obonyo Begins Her Entrepreneural Journey
Although her teaching job at the school was stable, she desired to own a business of her own, pushing herself to have multiple sources of income.
Subsequently, she explored multiple business ideas, from selling diffusers to scented candles and essential oils. However, she eventually settled on a clothing brand, Nalelek Collection, a product she could easily source in Thailand and market back home in Kenya.
Nalelek is a Maasai word meaning “simple,” which explained the essence of her brand—simple, yet elegant, casual, and chic. She explained that her designs are versatile and fit seamlessly into both office and social settings.
“I’ve always wanted to own a business, something that I would run on my terms. I have also always believed that one source of income is not enough, and even in my school days I often thought of something to do on the side.
“Before settling on a clothing brand, I had considered several products such as diffusers, scented candles and essential oils, but I wanted a product that I could easily get here (Thailand) and would be appreciated back home,” she said.
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Education and Childhood
Nancy Akoth Obonyo was born and raised in Homabay County in Western Kenya where she completed her primary and secondary education.
She went to the University of Stellenbosch, located in the Western Cape province of South Africa where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.
While at the institution, she almost felt assured of a job because she stood out as a black woman in a predominantly male field.
“In the engineering school in South Africa we were often told that as ‘female black’ engineers we were guaranteed a job. It’s the same thing we were often told when we were young, to work hard and get good grades and we would eventually get a job regardless.
“I came back to Kenya after my graduation, ready for employment, and applied enthusiastically for numerous jobs. Two months later, nothing. Six months, a year down the line, absolutely nothing came my way. I started wondering why,” she said in a past interview.
In 2023, she announced through her YouTube channel that she had moved to the United States to pursue a Master’s in Global Affairs, hoping to change her career into something more mission driven.
She joins a list of other Kenyan female entrepreneurs who have dared to establish their ventures abroad. The latest being Vivo Fashion Group founder Wandia Gichuru, who launched her business in the US on May 21.
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