As the business started to grow , the need for skilled workers became more visible . Instead of using casual workers on pay as you work basis , I decided to involve a different community of women , aged between 35 to 65 years , who have vast experience in cooking
“ My Husband , my mother and my sisters have helped me beyond borders . My husband is my “ co-chef and business partner ”, my mother “ The Sponsor ” and my two sisters “ Marketers ”.”
but never saw the doors of education . These women have “ magical cooking hands ” they don ’ t follow any recipe , their food tastes the same since inception with no compromise on quality , but they are not aware of their capabilities and how they can turn them into a profit business venture . They speak their mother tongue and Swahili only . My ultimate goal is to create awareness of their products and at the same time empower them with knowledge and feedback about how to enhance their product . These women are not customer oriented , their need is family provision . As for the elderly ones they see it as a way to pay back to the community .
As I got stranded on the way forward , my eyes caught hold of an article from a Halal job group , one of the what ’ s app groups that had a poster on D . E . A . R . MSME Program . The eligibility program was for those based in Coast and Eastern Province . No sooner had I finished reading the advert than I filled out my application . Being accepted into this program and going through the different classes not to mention but a few such as market research , pricing , pitching , taxation and storytelling , I held my breath , straightened my back , tightened my seat belts and started empowering myself . The cluster of women in this cohort are highly skilled and have added a lot of value to my business not forgetting myself . The one on one coaching session led me to buy a kneading machine that kneads 20kgs a day as they took me through the packing process .
When I think of all the ways to thank the D . E . A . R program organizers , I just can ’ t find the very best way to make it sound so true , though it ’ s simple but it ’ s hard to express the overwhelming gratitude . My interpretation for D . E . A . R simply stands for Dedicated Enthusiastic Aggressive and Reliable female entrepreneurs .
Nabila Hassan elaf _ homely _ meals Elaf-Homely-Meals
Nabila was on the 40 female entrepreneurs who took part in the Digitally Enabled Adaptive and Resilient ( DEAR ) MSMEs project .
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Kenya Cottage - DEAR Edition 11