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Cleaning up in Kenya
 Hannah stock checks her aloe vera products (Photo: © The Rev Njenga) It was exciting to begin to pursue at last her dream to become a successful, self-employed businesswoman.
Today, “Hannah’s Pride”, a multipurpose detergent made largely out of aloe-vera juice, is available in supermarkets — the result of her hard work since she launched her company, Aloe Life Products International.
The detergent, which also contains lemon, can be used for dish-washing, laundry, and to remove grease and clean floors, carpets and vehicles.
“I have now been in this business for about nine months and, without a doubt, it has been a big blessing to my life. This is my first attempt to do business and it has been a great learning process as well,” Hannah says.
Hannah’s house is built on a half-acre plot of land. At the back of her house she has planted aloe vera for use in making the environment-friendly detergent.
However, as this does not produce enough raw product, she supplements it by buying aloe-vera juice from small-scale farmers.
“The whole production process is manual. I produce about 600 litres of detergent every week but I have the capacity to produce more.
“The main outlet for the final product is Uchumi, the national supermarket chain. I also sell to some schools and other institutions, and to individuals,” Hannah explains.
Aloe vera, a cactus-like plant that thrives in a warm climate, has various uses. Due to its antiseptic and antibiotic properties, it is commonly used as medicine to treat burns, wounds, abrasions and skin irritations, such as eczema.
It is also used in the production of cosmetics or as a food preservative or cleaning agent.
Hannah’s business yields her about US$800 a month (gross), which enables her to support her family better as well as employ a number of people.
All the work is done in her house – an open space is used for manufacturing the detergent, and the laundry is used as the storeroom.
“Hannah’s Pride” has been certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards, and is hailed for having no fading effect on surfaces, being highly economical, gentle on hands and yet strong enough to kill germs.
Hannah is a member of the CMS/Business As Mission Africa (BAM) network. Her success story recently attracted local media attention in Kenya and has been an inspiration to many prospective small business owners.
One paper quoted her as saying, “I wanted to be self employed; I foresaw self employment and flexibility. I wanted to earn a more decent income. It also dawned on me that I could offer employment. Even after discovering what I could do, there were hindrances like limited capital and lack of technical knowledge.”
Hannah’s persistence has started to pay off as demand for the detergent picks up.
She even has plans to start making an aloe vera health drink very soon. Her vision is to market her products internationally. She has already explored the market potential for them in Rwanda.
Previously, Hannah was a teacher for about 12 years. She later worked as an administrator in a legal firm for over four years.
CMS’ Programme Manager for Advocacy and Holistic Transformation, Serah Wambua, says, “Hannah’s story is one that BAM Africa would like to point to as a beacon of hope for many who need to take a step of faith and help to create employment as well as deal with the challenges of poverty in the region.”
“We trust these initiatives will begin to catalyse the desired transformation in society,” Serah says.
The mission of BAM Africa is to stimulate the transformation of African economies through Kingdom practices, principles, businesses and networking.
BAM core values are to be 'transformational', 'excellence', ‘integrity’, ‘justice’ and ‘innovation’.
The strategic goals for 2007 are to be a catalyst for the setting up of business incubators; capacity building; and networking and resource mobilisation.
Published: 10:25 17 August 2007 | 2543 viewsLast updated: 30 January 2008 See other stories in these categories: Environment, Health, Community development, Women, NEWS
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