Never mind she concurrently owns\nand runs an IT firm \u2013 Goodkat Technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs an environmental\nconservationist at heart, I used to be bothered by the many plastics\neverywhere, yet no one seemed to care about it. I felt the ban on single-use\nplastic carriers wasn\u2019t enough. On a personal level, I had to do something,\u201d\nthe mother of two said in an interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From doing it all in the\nbeginning, she now has an army of workers and is exploring exports avenues for\nthe environmentally-friendly home and hotel utensils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides opening up job\nopportunities and promoting use of organic utensils, her business has offered\ncoconut farmers at the coast an income lifeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kabechu says that the bamboo\nstraws can be reused for up to one year, and are ecofriendly even after being\ndiscarded. As an environmental evangelist, and leading from the front, she\nalways carries bamboo straws in her handbag for own use whenever she visits\nhotels. Besides, such visits provide her with the opportunity to convert other patrons\naround her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBefore we place orders, we look\nfor certain qualities in a coconut tree and the fruit. This is because the\ncoconut bowls should naturally have a rounder shape and a flat base,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe also produce strong, darker-toned bowls from the coconut tree trunk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The environmentalist said that\nshe sources her coconuts from the coastal Tiwi region in Diani, Kwale County.\nAs for the bamboo sticks, she sources from Kikuyu. Today, she has a team that\ncrafts the organic utensils in her workshops, alongside those on the ground\nthat assess the quality of the coconut trees and marketers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her journey has, however, been\nfull of bumps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I was initially looking\nfor raw materials, I faced a lot of backlash from the coastal region. Being a\nwoman I was expected not to be so aggressive or take on the leadership role. I\nhad to stand firm and be decisive about what I wanted. Sustainable living is a\nnew concept that people have yet to start embracing especially in informal settings\u201d\nsaid Kabechu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She says that it\u2019s especially\ndifficult to eliminate the plastics menace in informal settlements where \u2018kadogo economy<\/em>\u2019 thrives. Here, basic\ngoods are packaged in small plastic bags as a way of making it affordable to\npoor households. Unfortunately, much of this ends up in unplanned dumpsites\naround homes, creating eyesores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To sharpen her skills and stay\nat the tip of the innovation curve, she has joined hands with other like-minded\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI joined an association called\nUbunifu which has been a great supporter of my work. It has helped me hone my\nskills, meet like-minded impact entrepreneurs and guided me through\nchallenges,\u201d said Kabechu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, it was through\nUbunifu that she joined the Export Promotion Council (EPC), lighting a fire\ninside her to explore the exports market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She has equally joined SheTrades\nGlobal \u2013 a World Trade Organization initiative that trains women on sustainable\nbusiness practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To ensure she has her pulse\nacross the value chain, she advises farmers on sustainable coconut growing and\nharvesting, and actively participates in programmes organised by the Coconut\nBoard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter joining the Export Promotion\nCouncil, I now have plans to export some of my organic products even as I grow\nmy operation in the local market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n How does she balance her work-family life?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs busy as I am, I always have family time which allows me to decompress and relax. I do not accept any business calls from 7 pm,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, her startup sells\nextra coconut flesh from the shells to chicken farmers, which they mix with\nchicken feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gazing into the horizon, her\nplan is to set up a coconut oil manufacturing factory in coming years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know that whatever small contribution one makes to ensure a clean environment, the impact is felt in the long run. My plan for the future is to set up an exhibition space where the public can see the process of making my coconut bowls, bamboo straws and utensils. That way, they can have a sense of appreciation for using eco-friendly items,\u201d she signs off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rayscohosting.best\/ASM\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/diani-1024x612.jpg\")