Ms. Ruth Mwanzia used her savings and additional funds from her mother as seed capital for her start-up water company.
Kenyan economy is among the fastest growing in Africa but that growth is threatening to leave behind a generation of young people. Youth form about 60 per cent of Kenya’s population, according to government statistics, with most of them being economically poor. High levels of youth unemployment and underemployment further paints a bleak picture. And as debate continues to gain traction on how this booming generation of young Kenyans can be integrated into the already congested labour market and spur economic growth, Ruth Mwanzia, a 26-year-old Kenyan is shaping this narrative in a major way through her start-up water processing company.
Her journey into entrepreneurship began in 2014 and was largely informed by her formative years in Kitui. “I grew up in Kitui, experiencing semi-arid nature of climate meaning we had water shortages, scarcity and drought issues to deal with. As such, I ventured into the water business to provide clean and safe drinking water for consumption, and also to make a difference in my community.”
Maiden steps
Ms. Mwanzia says her strong Christian faith built trust in her own ability. Her company, Koola Waters which was set up in October 2014 manufactures, treats and packages drinking water in Karen, Nairobi.
With personal savings and additional funds from her mother, she registered the company and got relevant certifications from KEBS. Starting as an unknown outfit, the company has grown in leaps and bounds to establish a name in its line of business. Thus far, she is grateful to God as she enjoys every aspect of her business saying that: “I love what I do. I have learnt a lot and grown as a person as well as business wise.”
Asked what is her competitive edge? She reveals:”We are very exceptional in the way we do our business. The taste of our water is pure and natural because it is micro-filtered and UV treated. Our packaging is unique and our marketing is out of the box. We also have a very robust and effective distribution and delivery system.”
Socially responsible
Besides manufacturing and distribution of water, the company is also socially responsible (act of giving back to the community and acknowledging the environment upon which it gets support). This has been done in both Nairobi and Kitui with far reaching impacts.
The fact that she has been able to achieve successes and run business sustainably sits well with her. She further won an alumni award from Africa Nazarene University, being shortlisted by CESRA for being social responsible. She was also named as top 25 women who are helping put Kenya on the global arena by Lioness Africa blog for her entrepreneurial skills.
Despite operating successfully she acknowledges that the industry has a fair share of its challenges. “We have experienced challenges just like any other constructive business key among them being competition from other well established brands,” she notes. Ms. Mwanzia however overcomes this by having comprehensive marketing surveys and strategies as well as keeping focus on improving the overall business experience.
Towards this end she aims to see Koola Waters become a household name in Kenya. Operating in a few regions, she wants to scale capacity to cover the whole country and come up with new products while maintaining sustainability. “If you put God first and work hard you can make it. So never ever give up on your dreams.”
