When a women's group in Kisii County started as a merry- go-round 15
years ago, no one thought that they would come up with a brilliant idea
of adding value to bananas. Many people fundamentally know bananas as
delicious fruits common in Gusiiland. In fact, almost every home in the
area has the crop in its compound. But Kenyuni Women Group found in
Nyaura ward in Kisii district has since set an example that bananas are
not only cooked or ripened but can also be used to bake many other food
products.
Despite the many odds, the group with a membership of
20 now makes queen cakes, bread, biscuits, crisps, ugali flour, banana
porridge and banana jam among other delicacies from the banana crop. The
women say they came up with the idea after they discovered that middle
men were exploiting them by giving then as little as Sh 100 per banana
bunch.
Because of the high demand of their products by locals, the
group agreed that each member plants at least 30 suckers or more with
those who have large parcels of land to avoid a shortage of the crop. A
visit to one of their farms where they get bananas for their mini
bakery revealed that the group comprising of five widows is committed to
fighting poverty through the venture.
According to the group
leader Everline Onserio, the farm contains varieties of bananas
including the ripening and baking varieties. “We have varieties which
are only used for ripening and those for baking. Each member has planted
some in her piece of land to avoid a shortage,” Onserio said.
Onserio
explained that when the crop is ready, it is carefully harvested and
treated with salt water so that they do not get dirty before they are
transported on a motorbike to their ‘factory’ situated at Menyinkwa
buying centre, a kilometre away. She said that they make bread, chapati
and mandazi from ripened bananas which they sell to the public at
affordable prices. “Even though we face many challenges in our business,
we are committed to making our families earn a living through our small
income,” Onserio said. “Our products are chemical free that is why we
encourage people to buy and consume them. The biggest challenge we are
facing is marketing. If we would have a ready market them we will be
making brisk business,” she added.
The group leader says that most
of what they make is purchased by the locals who flock their bakery
from morning to evening because of the quality of the products. Most of
the residents interviewed praised the group saying that their products
are local and original compared to those sold in supermarkets. They said
they have since changed their eating habits, diet and mostly consume
the products because they are nutritious.
Onserio disclosed that
apart from the locals, they receive customers from towns as far as
Nairobi who order for cakes especially for wedding ceremonies. The
women's leader said her group has a strict record keeping tradition
monitored by Veronica Nafula whom they sponsored to go for training to
study financial management. “As you see we keep records on daily
transactions because we want to establish whether we are making progress
or not. Initially when we didn’t have such records it was difficult for
us to know the position of our business,” she said.
Showing one
of the charts in their office, Nafula said the group used get Sh299,
000 before value addition annually but now they rake in Sh635,000 per
year. Following their progress, a group member has since composed a
Kiswahili poem in which she praises the banana as a plant that can help
the community jump out of poverty.
At a time like this, when
Kenyans are feeling the heat occasioned by inflation, Onserio said that
food security can be attained if banana production and value addition is
embraced. Onserio added: “I think time has come for Kenyans to change
their eating habits and embrace ugali cooked from banana flour instead
of maize flour,”
She called on well wishers to come to their aid
and help them with funds to purchase baking equipment to increase their
production. The leader asked the concerned authorities to assist them
get a patent from Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) so that their
products can be sold even in supermarkets and other outlets on limited
time as they have to attend to other family duties.
But Kisii
deputy mayor, Patrick Siro who is the area councillor and group patron
is optimistic that the group will be successful in the long run. Siro
said there is need for more funding to the group so that members can
attain food security and improve their economic base. The Nyaura ward
civic leader expressed optimism that the ongoing construction of a
banana factory near Kisii town will help growers of the crop and
alleviate poverty.
Members of the group underwent a 40- week
training courtesy of the ministry of Agriculture, a few years back
where were sensitized on how to plant, rear, harvest, handle the produce
and add value so as to earn more money and they are reaping dividends
from this venture. They got initial funding of Sh120,000 through the
Njaa Marufuku Kenya and an additional Sh127,000 from Showmap, which they
used to buy the modern disease resistant crop, rent a house and buy a
few machines for the business.
Ben Mogaka a businessman said that
such groups should be funded because it is the only way to fight poverty
in the society. “Groups with such noble ideas should be funded because
they play a pivotal role towards the realisation of vision 2030,” Mogaka
said. Mogaka who is also secretary of the chamber of commerce, Kisii
branch, said there is need to look for ways to enable the group get
exposure through exhibitions.
He added Banks should give the
group soft loans to enable them enhance their business. “I also call
upon well wishers to come to the aid of the group saying as a chamber of
commerce they will visit the group and see how they can be helped,” he
added. Mogaka asked the constituency poverty eradication committees to
pay the women a visit how they can help them because it is within their
mandate.
