Environmentally friendly cooking briquettes
Gichuki
Thika, Kenya
60% paid forward
Entrepreneur
Name
Gichuki
Member since
June 2020
On-time repayments
117 installments • 100%
About Me
My Name is Gichuki Nuthu from Kiambu county, Kenya. I reside in Thika sub county near the county's largest dumpsite Kang'oki. When I bought a piece of land here 7 years ago, my plan was to ascertain how I can benefit from waste dumped without raising conflict with the community around who scavenged for valuable in the dumpsite. The valuables include but not limited to plastics, metal cans, nylon bags for recycling and stale food which are fed to dogs and pigs.
Only a few, if any, were interested with bio garbage from markets, residential and business areas.
I am Certified Public Accountant of Kenya and currently pursuing Bachelor of Commerce degree, marketing management option at Mount Kenya University , I ventured into recycle of this matter to clean the environment, avail affordable source of fuel to neighbours and create employment.
My Business
In the year 2018, I ventured in recycling of this bio waste matter including sawdust from sawmills and timberyards, charcoal dust from yards.
Towards this, I engaged a local technician who calibrated a local briquette machine which currently produce 6 -25kg bags a day. We sell at kenya shillings 30.00 a kilo.
These products have ready market in the neighborhood where clients use briquettes in their homes for cooking, others use for warming up their chicken broods. Thika sub county has many chicken rearing farmers. There is also the nearby Nairobi city, Kenya's capital where a sizable population still depends on charcoal as fuel and we have introduced our briquettes as a substitute to save forest and environment.
We also use some in our kitchen. This has reduced our domestic budget substantially.
We have created employment whereby,currently we have one employee. We hope to employ more in near future after upgrading our briquettes machine as the current one has reached maximum production and it level of efficiency is not satisfactory.
We also utilise the excess space for poutry rearing.
Project Proposal
When I bought this land about ,5 years ago, it had 6 single rooms. I occupied 3 rooms with my family. The other rooms have various uses one if them being factory of the briquettes. It's iron sheets are old and rusty . I am planning to modernise by replacing the roof and plastering it. It will become hospitable. Iron sheets will cost around 20,000, timber 10,000 sand 16,000 cement 10,000, electric installation 10,000 ,labour 15,000
miscellenious fittings 8,000
My Videos
Jan 9, 2021: Briquettes and chicken rearing in thika kenya
Feedback
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Project Info
Project Type
Pay It Forward
Disbursed amount
$780.00
Date disbursed
Feb 18, 2022
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Adam Shipp Jun 26, 2021
Erik G Jan 15, 2021
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