Ultraclean biomass cookstove

Entrepreneur

About Me

Am a graduate of the University of Nairobi for a BSc. With the HELB, i finished my undergraduate and worked with a consultancy firm in the city but salaries were not on time.

In strive to get better opportunities, i opted to work as a data entry specialist in another organization due to computer skills i acquired part time whilst pursuing my undergraduate studies. This then propelled me to start typing and editing students project proposals and thesis part time at a fee.

I also started volunteering with an organization that was mentoring women and girls to run their own start ups in the slums of Nairobi (Kibera, Kawangware, Mukuru). This became therapeutic as i saw them transform in to micro-business owners. I therefore spoke to my self that I too could make choices that could transform by starting a small business.

An organization approached me to assist them in creating awareness of HIV/AIDS in Nyanza and Western provinces; However, the fees they had committed to pay, they did not honour. Nevertheless, I developed a training manual on conflict resolution that was used by over 500 groups and several schools in the region.

The above background broadened my scope and insight into market trends of fast moving and consumable goods. I saw a gap in the market place -distribution of perishables at the door steps. Due to decentralisation of government to the county level; costomers now want all goods and services offered at their doorsteps- if possible - or the nearest kiosk/shop. Fast moving consumable goods that would only be found in the prime supermarkets like Nakumatt, or Uchumi in Kenya are now found even in the smallest kiosk all over the estates. These stockists or retailers prefer the goods brought to their shops within the estates that are now sprawling all over the counties and construction is still going on todate.

Major towns in the country are very cosmopolitan. The culture perseveres challenges and adapts to changes very fast. For example, small eateries by the road side were unheard of. There were lots of scuffles between county officials and these small traders but today every part of the cities are these small eateries where one can get a simple meal of rice + bean stew @$1.0. A system has now been developed to collect a daily county fee at as little as $0.5 daily. The cottage industry is on the rise in Kenya.

Am raising a teenager that would like to be an entrepreneur (media and real estate) and business owner. He want pursue Business Economics.

I am now striving to live a life of significance, by training the use and access of clean-efficient energy products for the underserved and households that still depend on expensive gas, kerosene, charcoal and firewood starting with rural households at a radii of 100km of the city.

Lives of the underserved and rural households are very difficult as they have to collect firewood (or buy charcoal), setup and light the fire that releases lots of smoke and smog, which when inhaled in large quantities over a period of time leads to lung problems, eye diseases amongst others. This chore is entirely left in the hands of women and their daughters, taking up alot of their time. A clean cook stove comes in handy in this households to save time, energy, eliminate toxic inhalation of smoke and smog.

Putting these ultraclean biomass cookstove in the hands of rural households in a way that does not harm them or require expensive fuels is an interesting journey of transforming their lives.

The biomass cooking stove has a solar panel for charging the battery that runs its fan, a USB port for charging phones and a mini LED lamp for a better lit home to see while cooking and at the same time provide lighting for school going children to do their homework at night. This is an intervention that goes a long way in transforming households, reducing fuel costs budgets, accessing free power for light and charging phones even to these households.

The stove reduces fuel costs in cooking meals that take a long time like githeri (mixture of maize and beans) very famous in most households across the country or any outdoor cooking or while camping.

I am currently reading E-myth By Michael E. Gerber

My Business

Goods: sweets, cookies, cakes, buns, water, yoghurt to shops, kiosks and supermarkets.

These are in demand, since consumers want them every other day. They currently form a big part of a household budget in breakfast or snacks.

I choose this business when I saw stockists or retailers and consumers preferring the goods brought to their doorstep as a result of decentralization of government; constructions of malls even in the outskirts of the city.

The ultraclean biomass cookstove transforms the way the underserved and households that rely on expensive gas, charcoal, firewook cook. Each costs USD125 with a 15 - 20% increase in revenue.

My typical costs are:

$3.0 for a pack of sweets, $4.0 a pack of water (24pcs), $0.7 a packet of cookies, $0.50 a packet of buns and $0.75 a packet of queen cakes, $1.10 a litre of yoghurt, marketing, training and other miscellaneous expenses $25 and minimum $40 transport, county council $50.

My revenue is between total 14 - 20% profit less all expenses with peaks during long weekends, first and last week of the month, holidays and special occasion like birthdays, weddings, special meetings, etc.

The profits are mainly ploughed back into the business and am able to pay school fees without fail.

Loan Proposal

Training of 20 groups of at least 10 rural households to access high-tech and high-impact ultraclean biomass cookstoves that are efficient and safe.

A stove costs USD125.00 (inclusive of shipping) with expected profits of 15 - 20% depending on currency inflation.

Cooking 2 meals/day on charcoal will save the end user USD225.00 per year at about 50 - 70% since a normal charcol jiko would use USD 0.70 per day or more on charcoal alone.

The benefit to a household is that the biomass cookstove is energy saving, reduces pollution, eliminates toxic inhalation, reduces time spend collecting firewood and fuel costs.

The cookstoves also have a solar panel for charging a battery which runs the fan in the stove, a USB port for charging phones increasing access to ICT, and a mini LED lamb for free & safe lighting for use when and where there is no electricity.

The stove can be started with readily available dry twigs or dry cow dung, and does not produce smoke while burning. It is a multi-fuel biomass cookstove capable of using any solid biomass (cow dungs, pellets, briquettes, agri-waste).

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