Just like many other youths, Edna Kaveza entered the Kenyan job market after graduating from university hoping to get a job that would lead to a stellar career.
The now 35-year-old graduated from Kenyatta University about 10 years ago with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.
Despite failing to get a formal job, Kaveza currently runs a dairy processing unit that supplies milk and dairy products in Vihiga County.
Here is her story as told by WoK.
Life after university
Following the completion of her studies, Kaveza tarmacked in Nairobi for years looking for a job but her efforts were all in vain.
The situation was bad to the point that she had to be dependent on her friends and relatives for survival and managing her expenses.
“I went from office to office dropping my CV hoping to get a call. But nothing came through. I only received regrets. I tried consultancy but it was fruitless because I did not have any wealth of experience that attracts deals,” Kaveza told the Standard.
After unsuccessfully trying to secure a job, Kaveza resorted to relocate back to her rural home in Emanda, Vihiga County to engage in dairy farming.
Dairy farming
With the help of her mother, the KU graduate decided to venture into dairy farming in the western county better known for small scale tea and maize farming.
The venture wasn’t new to her as her mother, Margaret Ahona, was already practicing diary farming although small scale.
“My mother has always been into dairy farming but on a low scale. She is the one who encouraged me to try it out instead of suffering alone in the city,” Kaveza said.
Kaveza joined hands with her mother and they bought four Freshian heifers at Ksh 100,000 each, officially setting off their journey in the lucrative venture.
“Getting the cash to buy the initial stock was a challenge and the mother had to chip into money that she had set aside for her children’s education
“Mum was kind enough to chip into funds that she had saved up for my siblings’ education and we used that to buy four pedigree Friesian heifers,” she said.
After making the investment, the two started attending entrepreneurial and developmental dairy value chain training sessions.
Now, the two have six dairy cows with five sexed female calves and one bull.
Daily income
Kaveza milks six cows that produce a total of 100 litres of milk daily, but up to 150 litres at a high peak and when cows are not drying up.
From this, she makes up to Ksh 5,000 per day.
Kaveza sells the milk to local markets and the Vihiga Dairy Cooperative Society at Ksh 50 per litre.
“At the moment, only three cows are at the peak of milking. I milk close to 100 litres of milk a day and sell the milk at Ksh 50 a litre
“My plan is this, if we continue with breeding at the farm with each cow getting superior pedigree semen through Artificial Insemination, we can get more animals and also increase our milk production,” she said.
