Many university students in Kenya depend on the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans to pay their tuition fees and school expenses.
Others have used the money to grow successful companies that have left a mark on the local economy. Damaris Chebet belongs to the latter category.
The fourth-year IT student at Egerton University used her HELB loan of sh 20,000 to start a honey-supplying venture in 2022.
A year later, her business has grown so well that she now supplies honey to countries as far away as the UK and Germany.
This is her journey as told by WoK:
Asali By Chebet
Chebet is the founder and CEO of Asali by Chebet, a company that sells pure and processed honey.
The fourth-year computer science student at Egerton University started the business in 2021, although it initially failed because she did not have a clear strategy and branding.
In May 2022, she restrategized and relaunched her business under the brand ‘Asali by Chebet’. This time, armed with valuable lessons from her previous endeavor, the sky has been the limit.
Damaris’s decision to start a business while still in school was driven by her unwavering passion for entrepreneurship, especially in the agribusiness sector. “I have always wanted to be self-employed. My passion was to start something of my own and be a CEO,” she emphasized.
Albeit young, she is a member of the OWIT (Organization of Women in International Trade), a global association for women in international trade and business.
OWIT, whose membership includes local and regional CEOs, has often partnered with Kenyan banks to offer entrepreneurial classes for women, through a program called ‘She Academy’.
Chebet joined the organization in October 2022 when they were launching the Rift region charter.
Through the organization, she registered her business and got the KEBS certification for her products.
Hers was a case of preparation meeting opportunity.
For capital, she used her HELB loan of sh 20 000 to purchase packaging materials and branding for her business.
From this experience, she advises young aspiring entrepreneurs to start where they are instead of waiting for the ‘perfect moment’ to start a business.
Diverse Clientele
Asali by Chebet caters to a diverse clientele, including spa and salon clients, hotels, young families, families with children, and gift packages for corporates.
Damaris says her IT skills have been instrumental in the success of her business, as she is currently building a website and an app for her brand.
She adds that her brand has taken her places she would not have imagined and has helped her meet great people.
She sources her honey from local bee farmers, thus contributing to the local economy. Currently, she has directly employed one person and indirectly employed several others, helping alleviate the unemployment situation in Kenya.
Moreover, her products have made their way to international markets, with exports to countries like the UK and Germany.
Balancing studies
Balancing her studies with her burgeoning business has not been easy for Damaris.
However, she has successfully divided her week, working on her business from Monday to Friday, when she handles deliveries.
On weekends, she takes a break, catches up with her studies, and engages in other activities.
The young CEO attributes much of her success to her self-confidence. She says her unwavering belief in herself and her abilities has opened doors and introduced her to remarkable people.
She joins the ranks of Kenyan entrepreneurs whose success can be traced to HELB loans they took at university.
They include Moses Muriithi, CEO of Fanaka Real Estate, Manyatta MP John Gitonga, whose company, ERS, was founded with a HELB loan of sh 25 000, and Benmark Ng’ang’a, who used a Helb loan of sh 20 000 to start Lifesize Design and Build Limited, a thriving construction company.
