Sarah Onchangu, a remarkable entrepreneur from Kisii County, Kenya, is making a significant impact on the lives of single mothers through her innovative venture, Boka Eats Banana Processing Plant. By harnessing the potential of banana value addition, Sarah is empowering these women to generate income and improve their livelihoods.
Here is the amazing entrepreneurship journey of the CEO and co-founder of Boka Eats as told by WoK.
Early Life and Education
Sarah Onchangu grew up in Kisii County, Kenya, where she witnessed the struggles faced by smallholder farmers in her community. Motivated to make a difference, she pursued higher education and obtained a degree in Social Work from Kisii University between 2016 and 2019 according to her LinkedIn profile.
This educational background provided her with valuable insights into community development and empowerment, laying the foundation for her future endeavours.
Career and the Founding of Boka Eats
After completing her education, Sarah embarked on entrepreneurship by co-founding BIEERA company in 2016, acquiring essential financial management skills and developing a deep understanding of business operations.
Fuelled by her passion for agriculture and her desire to uplift her community, she also founded Boka Eats Banana Processing Plant in 2016. The venture aimed to bridge the gap in banana farming, where farmers often faced losses despite achieving bumper harvests due to low demand for their produce.
Elias Mabiria, a co-founder of Boka Eats, plays a crucial role as a trainer, imparting knowledge on the process of banana value addition to young individuals before they embark on their own entrepreneurial journeys or employment.
Although Boka Eats has achieved considerable success in producing innovative items such as banana bread, porridge flour, and banana jam, they face challenges when it comes to expanding their market reach for these commodities.
Boka Eats Products From Bananas
The company focuses on value addition to bananas, processing them into a diverse range of products such as flour, crisps, bread, cakes, and wine. What sets the venture apart is its commitment to empowering single mothers in the region.
“We do not add any preservatives, and additional ingredients to our end products and they are gluten free something which customers coming,” says Onchangu.
Empowering Single Mothers and Local Young Farmers
Over 30 young single mothers, aged 18 to 35, are employed by Boka Eats, providing them with training and income opportunities. Through this enterprise, Sarah is unlocking the economic potential of these women and enabling them to improve their lives.
“We are a group of 36 workers, of which 90 per cent are young mothers aged 18 to 35, from Gusii region, whom we are also training to start their own enterprises,” Onchangu said in a past interview.
The Role of the Youth Enterprise Fund and Expansion
Boka Eats has been a beneficiary of the Youth Enterprise Fund, a government initiative that supports young Kenyans in business. Starting with a startup loan of Ksh100,000, the company gradually expanded its operations and repaid the loan.
The Youth Enterprise Fund increased its support to Ksh400,000, with further anticipation of Ksh800,000. Sarah expresses her gratitude for the fund’s assistance and acknowledges additional support from the European Union, Kisii County Government, Women Enterprise Fund, Standard Chartered Bank, and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund.
Challenges and Future Outlook
While Boka Eats has achieved success in manufacturing new and unique banana-based products like banana bread, porridge flour, and jam, the venture faces challenges in establishing larger markets for its commodities.
Sarah and her team are actively seeking government assistance to secure bigger markets, including exports, which will enable the organization to expand its reach and assist more young people from the region and beyond.
