Making cooking briquettes from biowaste

Gichuki

Thika, Kenya

100% repaid

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How it Works

Entrepreneur

Name

Gichuki

Member since

June 2020

On-time repayments

111 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.

Loan Proposal

I will apply the funds as follows in kshs
1. 50chicken at 250 =12,500
2. Chicken feeds = 25,000
3. Briquettes raw materials= 30,000
4. Labour 12,500
I will plough back the profit from continuing businesses to boost the projects kitty

Income Source

1. We have limited the number of chicken to rear in our farm so that we can have a manageable stock for sale. We are aware many people who lost their jobs due to covid 19 economic meltdown ventured into these type of business. Our Target period is Easter festivities when demand is usually higher than normal.
2. Briquettes sales is not affected much by economic climate because as a source of fuel, it's the most affordable type of all fuel in the market. It is also sold in small quantities starting with a kilogram, therefore accessible to majority of residents around here.

My Videos

Jan 9, 2021: Briquettes and chicken rearing in thika kenya

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AS
Adam Shipp Jun 26, 2021

He kept up great communication and had a very thought out business plan. I would definitely lend to him again.

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EG
Erik G Jan 15, 2021

Really good communication fro Gichuki and he seems to have tought out his plans for his business well and works hard to achieve them as he did to pay off the loans. Very happy to lend to him again and know the loan will be well managed.

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