Kimlea Business Centre

During the first months of 2013, the Kianda Foundation started the Kimlea Business Centre, whose aim is to train female entrepreneurs from rural areas. We have a few success stories, such as Nieri.

Nieri is a middle-aged married woman with three children. She belonged to the first group trained in technical and business skills in the Kimlea Business Centre, from March to May 2013. The training included decorating cakes, catering services and basic laundry skills. One of the skills she developed was making jam. She had never started a business before; she had only farmed for a living. Her husband attended the meeting held by the civil servant and the commissioner of the Rironi district, Limuru, where staff from the Kianda Foundation spoke about the upcoming opening of the Kimlea Business Centre.

Nieri's husband talked to her about the training and she decided to join. After every lesson, she practiced what she had learned and when she learned how to make jam she decided that this was the business she would start. In Kimlea she had also learned basic laundry and tapestry cleaning skills. A wealthy woman from her neighbourhood needed someone to clean her sofas. Nieri did so, and the woman was so impressed that she gave her 30 euros. She spent 10 of them on her first ingredients and jars for the jam, another 10 for registering her business ("Double-Joy Foods") and the remaining 10 she deposited in an account at the "Family Bank". On April 30th she made strawberry and rhubarb jam and stored it in plastic jars. May 1st was a holiday, knowing that most people would be at home, she went door to door explaining that she had made jam and that she would like to give them samples so that whoever liked them could place an order. She distributed free samples in 29 homes in order to commercialise her products. A few days later, the neighbours began to call in their orders.

During the month of May she made jam with quality ingredients for around 4 euros and her sales reached around 70. Her next step was to apply for a certificate from the Kenia Standards Office (KEBS). This way she would be able to sell her products in supermarkets. The quality of life of her family has definitely improved!