Betty Kitonga’s story is one of resilience, determination and the power of opportunity, stemming from the quiet village of Yururu in Imenti South, Meru County.
Born to a teenage mother who faced family rejection, Betty was left in the sole care of her grandmother while her father moved on to start another family. Though life was far from easy, her grandmother became her only pillar of support, raising her with a balance of strict discipline and a sheltering love.
“My grandmother was very tough on me, but she loved me deeply and took very good care of me. She made sure I stayed disciplined and focused on school even when life was not easy,” Betty recalls.
Betty attended Kaaga Girls High School in Meru, and as the years flew by, so did her grandmother’s strength. She watched her grow frail day by day, year by year, and it was then, when she realized that she would have to carry the weight of both their futures.
“It was evident from the onset that if I wanted to succeed in life, being independent was not an option, it was an imperative. My grandmother had done her best, but I knew I had to become strong for both of us,” she added.
Determined to pursue higher education, after completion of secondary school, Betty joined Mount Kenya University in 2011. However, that dream was short-lived when the crushing reality of unpaid school fees forced her to drop out.
“I felt like my dreams had come to a stop,” she says. “Dropping out of university was very painful, but I refused to give up on life.”
They do say, when one door closes, there is opening of another. Her turning point came when she saw an advertisement on television about the KCB Foundation 2Jiajiri Programme, which supports the youth with technical skills training and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Betty did not hesitate to apply, her determination to succeed was irrefutable. She got accepted into the programme, receiving training at St. Kizito Vocational Training Institute in Roysambu, Nairobi. There, she specialized in catering, bakery, and pastry.
“The 2Jiajiri programme changed my life,” she says. “It helped me develop skills in catering, baking, and pastry, which are things I had always loved doing. It gave me confidence that I could build something of my own.”
Motivated and passionate, Betty honed her skill set in baking, and this resulted in the birth of Rainbow Plate Catering. As she was celebrating the birth of her business, unfortunately, she also mourned the loss of her grandmother. Fueled by the determination to make her grandmother proud, and deepen her entrepreneurial knowledge, she returned to school in 2024 to pursue a course in Food Production at Boma International Hospitality College.
According to Betty, the course helped her sharpen her business skills and improve how she manages her enterprise.
“This experience served as an eye opener to the importance of proper bookkeeping, planning, and professional management of a business,” she says. “It helped me see my business not just as a passion, but as a structured enterprise that can grow.”
She eventually completed her internship while concurrently running a successful catering business in Roysambu, hence gaining in both knowledge and profits.
Today, Rainbow Plate Catering serves a dynamic portfolio of clientele, spanning corporates, weddings, private parties, and other major events.
Reflecting on her journey, Betty encourages the youth to be bold and fearless, despite their beginning, when it comes to achieving their dreams.
“Believe in yourself and don’t fear failure,” she advises. “With the right experience and determination, you will meet the right people who will elevate you.”
“I am very grateful to KCB Foundation for believing in me and giving me a chance when I needed it most,” she says. “That opportunity gave me the skills and confidence to build the life and business I have today.”
From a young girl raised by a determined grandmother in Meru to a thriving entrepreneur in Nairobi’s catering industry, Betty Kitonga’s journey is a powerful reminder of the need to belief in one’s own dreams.