Kidawa Entertainment Production by Eunice Gicheha
This channel is filled with fun and entertainment. There's singing and dancing, satirical commentary, and parodies of everyday life and human behavior. Welcome to Kidawa Entertainment's Comedy Channel! With well over 200 clips now, the professionalism in production, both in terms of sound and visuals, stands out. However, the journey wasn't always smooth, as in the beginning, there wasn't much financial flexibility. "We initially didn't have much financial leeway because production was so expensive. We had to borrow cameras and equipment, which cost us up to 80,000 Kenyan shillings, and we simply couldn't afford it!" recalls Eunice Gicheha, the founder of Kidawa Entertainment. Nevertheless, she remained determined, despite the initial obstacles, to keep learning and constantly refine her business idea.
„I'm very interested in nurturing young people who have an acting or journalism talent.“ Eunice Gicheha, founder of Kidawa Entertainment Production
The leap into media production
Eunice lives and works in Kikuyu, a town in Kenya with over 320,000 people, located approximately 20 kilometers west of the capital, Nairobi. Here, she made the decision to turn her creative passion for photography and videography into a business that would involve her community from the outset. She succinctly describes her motivation for founding Kidawa Entertainment Production in 2020: "My goal is not to waste any talent in my community. With my media production business, I want to create content that is entertaining, inspiring, and educational all at once. I am very interested in nurturing young people who have acting or journalism talents."
Support from her brother on the path to WIDU funding
Eunice's successful launch of Kidawa Entertainment Production is also owed to her brother, Simon Gicheha. He lived in Germany for an extended period, studied, and obtained a doctorate from Justus Liebig University in Giessen. "My interest and commitment lie in changing the world around me through personal development and sharing my experiences for a positive impact," says Simon, who has supported his sister as a WIDU sponsor on two occasions. Simon now holds a doctorate and pursues his personal interests in a think tank specializing in international cooperation and development in Africa.
Expanding in media production through coaching
Even the first participation in the WIDU coaching program showed its effect. The guidance and coaching from the mentors led to professionalizing the operations at Kidawa. "The discussions with the coaches were especially important in terms of finances because I hadn't dealt with them before. Fundamental financial decisions also contributed to our success," says Eunice.
The expensive rental of camera equipment for filming was eliminated as the entrepreneur invested in her own equipment through WIDU funding. She purchased items like a camera, flash, and microphones. "Savings on equipment rental costs allowed us to hire new employees who can now operate the devices and take on more tasks than ever before." She now employs ten people, seven of whom are women. During her second participation in the original WIDU grant, Eunice invested in additional equipment such as lenses, spotlights, tripods, and other items.
The regular and high output of videos speaks for itself. She publishes content on her YouTube channel, Kidawa Comedy Entertainment, and shares it on other social networks as well. Expanding her company's services is also on Eunice's radar, such as the possibility of collaborating with Kidawa and the moderators she has trained, or executing commissioned work for institutions and other businesses.
She emphasizes the positive impact of WIDU funding: "I will hire more employees, and I know it's achievable! Applying is very straightforward, as long as you are honest and stay focused."
