Jordan Kerama who hails from Lanet, Nakuru is the founder of Kerama Juices which he runs alongside his mother, Clare Nyaboke.
What initially started as a straightforward school project has evolved into a successful business venture, surpassing the anticipations of an enterprising young individual.
As noted by Nyaboke, Jordan’s journey began with a school assignment, which was facilitated by his mother in line with the CBC curriculum.
“When Jordan, then seven years old, was given an assignment to develop a business idea, the school was just aiming to keep the children engaged. For his age, I was not expecting much.
“He liked watching videos of children cooking, and when the opportunity came up, he decided to do the juice-making and selling business for the assignment,” Nyaboke said.
Jordan mentioned that for his assignment, he would look at what juices he could make, noting that avocados and bananas were available.
He successfully finished the first task, which involved submitting a video.
Later, the school requested that all pupils in manufacturing and production sell their products, starting with their parents and then to Grade 4 students at school, where he made Ksh 4,500.
“I wanted to support Kerama’s efforts and felt the need for his business to look presentable. And so, I helped him invest in buying disposable cups and created labels for the juices.
“To have a complete presentation, I even asked the name he wanted for the business, and he said his name. We used repurposed 5-litre tomato sauce containers for packaging,” Nyaboke added.
The presentation impressed both teachers and fellow schoolmates, prompting them to share it across their social media platforms, which resulted in an increase in sales.
Nyaboke said the company is committed to utilizing natural ingredients and has established a sustainable supply chain to guarantee the availability of fruits throughout the year, even during off-seasons.
She emphasize that the creation of juices that provide health benefits, addressing a range of dietary requirements and preferences, including options for individuals with acidity concerns seeking appetizers, non-appetizers, and detoxifying beverages.
The company manufactures juice in quantities ranging from 10 to 400 litres, contingent upon the season and customer demand, offering it in various sizes to meet diverse customer requirements.
With 40 different flavours, they sell juices in 250 ml bottles going for Ksh 50, 500 ml going for between Ksh 100 and Ksh 150, half-litre containers going for Ksh 100 to Ksh 200 and one-litre bottles are priced at between Ksh 200 and Ksh 300.
The company’s top selling products are mango lemongrass, pineapple and mango beetroot.
At the age of 11, Kerama has successfully grown the business to two locations, one in the CBD and another in Lanet, thanks to the backing of his parents.
The workforce has increased from a single employee to seven.
According to Nyaboke, one of the company’s most notable achievements is attaining sustainability, as it now operates effectively on its own, supported by well-established systems.
However, just like any other businesses, this has not been one without challenges.
“Early on, we learned that managing fruit shortages during off-seasons was a major hurdle. To overcome this, we worked hard to build relationships with reliable suppliers who could provide us with fruits year-round.
“We also had to get creative with our recipes. I remember when we couldn’t get the apple mangoes we usually used – we didn’t give up, but instead experimented with other mango varieties to keep our production going,” Nyaboke said.
