Nelly Nafula originates from Bungoma County; however, she spent her formative years in Kahawa Barracks, where her father, a soldier in the Kenya Defence Forces, was stationed.
During her upbringing with her father, her siblings resided with their mother, who is a businesswoman, in Bungoma.
“I have stayed with my dad all through; let me just say from the time I started Class One. My mother used to come and go,” Nafula said.
In a recent interview with KTN, Nafula mentioned that her journey in volleyball began when she was in Class Three.
During her time at home, she took part in training sessions whenever she had free time, including weekends and school holidays.
“My childhood is basically made up of volleyball, I used to come from school and go for training, during weekends, I’ll also go for training or we’ll go play somewhere,” she said.
Nafula attended Kahawa Garrison Primary School prior to advancing to Lugulu Girls’ High School located in Webuye, Bungoma County.
Her exceptional skills in volleyball earned her a place at the institution, and it was not long before she began to generate income from the sport.
“By the time I was in Form Three, I had already started playing for certain clubs. The first time I travelled outside the country I was in Form Three
“I had been selected for junior national team; we went to Mexico. I have traveled the world through my participation in volleyball,” she said.
Following the completion of her secondary education, Nafula persisted in her volleyball pursuits and obtained employment with Nairobi Water & Sewerage Company.
“I got employed in Nairobi Water, through volleyball again, where I worked for five years before I left for Dubai,” she said.
During her time in Dubai, Nafula began participating in volleyball after joining a local team, which also facilitated her employment.
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With her earnings, and with assistance from her mother, Nafula purchased a plot of land where she commenced the construction of rental units.
“I have been building rentals for a while, I think this is the third year. Last year, I really wanted to finish the construction and so I gave myself a target
“I was hoping by the time it reaches my birthday I’ll be done but by the time it reached October, I knew I wasn’t going to manage,” she said.
At this juncture, Nafula decided to invest her funds into the Airbnb venture, acquiring a studio apartment that she promptly began to furnish.
Within a month, she successfully completed the furnishing of the apartment, after which she pooled her resources to acquire a second apartment, establishing her second Airbnb.
“This business has put me somewhere because it has enabled me finish the rentals. We are hoping to get the first batch of our new tenants soon,” Nafula said.
In addition to her involvement in the Airbnb business, Nafula is a farmer who cultivates maize and sugarcane, and is also engaged in tree planting activities. 00
“I dwell mostly on maize, sugarcane and I plant trees. Currently, we manage 1,500 trees; that is a long-term investment which I keep saying that’s what will enable me own my dream car,” she said.
