Value Addition!
“My name is Elizabeth Mumbi. I am a member of Mashmakh Youth Group based in Lari constituency, Kiambu County. We specialize in value addition. We make carrot flour, carrot flakes and dried traditional African vegetables. The idea to focus on value addition was based on research. Coming from an agricultural community, we observed that there was a lot of wastage of crops especially vegetables during the rainy season and a lack of it during the dry season. We settled on value addition not only as a viable business idea but also as a way to ensure constant supply of vegetables to the community and its surrounding throughout the year. We sought the help of the Ministry of Agriculture who taught us how to do value addition. They taught us how to set up various units including a solar dryer, processing and packaging units. We get raw materials from our own farm and also buy excess vegetables from our neighboring farmers.
We obtained Kshs 235,000 from the Youth Enterprise Development Fund in the year 2016. We used the money to buy packaging materials and obtain certification from the Kenya Bureau of Standards. We have applied for a second loan of Kshs. 500,000, which we will use to expand our solar drying unit. Our business is doing well considering that we do not have competition within our locality. We sell our products both locally through exhibitions and export to Kenyans living abroad.
Our lives have changed since starting this business. We have created jobs for ourselves. We provide nutritious foods to our community especially during the dry season. We also train fellow youth groups who are interested in venturing into value addition.
I wish to encourage young people to change their attitude towards agriculture. It has the potential to provide a sustainable income because people will always eat. They must however be ready to put in hard work”.