AUTHOR: Terryann Wamucii
In Musoli village, Luanda Sub-county, Vihiga County, Kenya, Concepter Makokha is a happy and determined woman. As a single mother of 3 children, she faced immense financial struggles after the passing of her husband. Providing for her children educational needs and daily needs was was a constant challenge. However, in October, 2024, her life took a significant turning point when she participated in a one-week intensive training organized by Seed Savers Network in partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT at the KIRDI Kisumu Branch.
The training equipped her with both knowledge and practical skills, focusing on product diversification, value addition of priority crops that is TLVs, red sorghum, finger millet, yellow maize, cassava, groundnuts and soya beans, food labeling and barcoding, legal compliance with KEBS and marketing strategies. The training aimed to equip Nyando, Kabudi and Vihiga community seed banks with skills and knowledge to produce nutritious composite flours and dried vegetables.
“After the training, I saw an opportunity to expand my ‘Uji Power ‘business,” Concepter shares with a smile. “Previously, I made porridge using only sorghum, millet and cassava. But through the training, I learned that I could enhance my recipe by adding groundnuts, soya, simsim, arrowroots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin seeds-ingredient known for their immunity boosting properties. Now I attract more customers than before.”
By carefully considering consumer preferences in terms of flavor and nutritional content, Concepter has developed customer-centric products tailored to boost nutrition. Her ability to cater to specific consumer needs has significantly increased her sales. For every jerrican of porridge she sells, she earns approximately Ksh1,000. Through her growing business, she has been able to support her daughter’s university education—an achievement she takes great pride in.
Concepter’s business has grown beyond daily sales, she now offers catering services at community events, providing porridge in various flavors. Her reputation as a skilled agro-entrepreneur was noticeable during the National Seed Fair held in October. Attendees were highly impressed with her porridge, and she achieved remarkable sales that day.
Despite her success, Concepter still faces challenges that limit her ability to scale up production. Currently, she relies on sun-drying crops and manually grinding them into flour—a labor-intensive process that consumes both time and energy. She dreams of acquiring a blender to streamline production and meet the growing demand for her nutritious porridge more efficiently.
Concepter’s story highlights the impact of empowering women in agriculture through training and support. She has turned adversity into opportunity, providing not only for her family but also nourishing her community with healthy, locally produced food.
