I have a background in hospitality management with over 20 years of experience working as a food and beverage manager in the hotel industry. I have always been passionate about healthy eating and general wellness. For a long time, I have dreamed of opening a store that sells healthy food for Kenyans. However, when I saw rural farmers and women struggle with unemployment, I wondered how I could pursue my passion while also solving social problems.

What triggered me is the fact that my great-grandparents lived long, free from lifestyle diseases. I believe it was because of the food they ate. In the rural area of Kenya, it is easy to find traditional vegetables such as Kanzira (kale), Mrenda (mallow), spinach, etc. My great-grandparents always cooked with traditional vegetables. I felt why not reintroduce traditional vegetables as a solution for my generation. So, I started Kienyeji Store, a business that sells traditional vegetables with rural farmers and women.

The biggest challenge was to convince Kenyans, who are not very health-conscious, of the importance of healthy eating habits. I started small with some vegetables sent to me by my mother and a freezer bought with assistance from friends. My first clients were my friends and close allies. Then, in 2019, an event happened that completely changed Kienyeji Store.

It was the COVID-19. When the pandemic spread, Kienyeji's store became more relevant because more and more people wanted the right nutrition that is found in traditional vegetables. However, it is not easy to find or prepare eat traditional vegetables in the city. City dwellers do not have the knowledge or time to prepare these vegetables.

Kienyeji’s Store offers convenience to busy families in urban areas by providing pre-cooked traditional vegetables and food. We partner with rural farmers in Kenya's western region to grow traditional vegetables and purchase them from the farmers. Middle-aged women sort, wash, chop, cook, package, and freeze the vegetables. The packaged traditional vegetables are sold in Kienyeji's retail stores and restaurants. Kienyeji’s Store also offers online ordering so you can have traditional vegetables delivered to your home.

The rise of fast food culture in Kenya has led to a decline in the knowledge of how to handle traditional vegetables. This traditional knowledge has been passed down through generations, and only a few people still know it. Middle-aged women, in particular, have excellent skills in handling traditional vegetables. Kienyeji Store works with unemployed middle-aged women to help them tap into their potential and support their families. We have worked with 15 middle-aged women so far.

In addition, Kienyeji's Store also works with rural farmers. We educate farmers on organic farming methods so that they can grow traditional vegetables. Also, Kienyeji's Store purchases all of the traditional vegetables they grow, which ensures that farmers have a stable market. They can maintain their livelihoods.

Kienyeji Store plans to establish retail stores in various parts of Kenya to make it easier for more people to access healthy traditional vegetables and food. However, the current supply of traditional vegetables is still insufficient to meet the growing demand. To address this issue, Kienyeji Store plans to use impact donations to educate and employ more rural farmers and middle-aged women to increase the supply of traditional vegetables. It will help ensure the livelihoods of rural farmers and middle-aged women and make it possible for Kenyan families to eat healthy food anytime and anywhere.