Like many youths in Kenya, Catherine is a juggler. By day, Catherine is a certified public accountant, keeping an eye on Murang’a University College’s accounts. By night, she is an entrepreneur tending to 600 head of chicken. Much to her surprise, her agri-business is outrunning her main job; it is generating more income than what she earns as a trained accountant.
She also has a son who loves fruit. Yellow passion fruits to be specific. But she dismayed at the amount of added sugar that Kenya’s imported passion fruit juice contains.
Like many youths in Kenya, Catherine is a juggler. By day, Catherine is a certified public accountant, keeping an eye on Murang’a University College’s accounts. By night, she is an entrepreneur tending to 600 head of chicken. Much to her surprise, her agri-business is outrunning her main job; it is generating more income than what she earns as a trained accountant.
She also has a son who loves fruit. Yellow passion fruits to be specific. But she dismayed at the amount of added sugar that Kenya’s imported passion fruit juice contains.
“Juices from the shelves are usually not healthy for children. I want to do a juice that is purely fruit concentrate,” she says.
Catherine wants to expand her business and include passion fruit farming to her portfolio.
Position | Assistant accountant at Murang'a University College and poultry farmer |
Education | Bachelor of Arts from Kenyatta university and a CPA SEC VI finalist |
Country | Kenya |
Mentor | Nancy Mwakini, founder, Rural Development and Self Employment Initiative |
"Seeing the prices fluctuate from 50 to 100 shillings for 4 pieces, it made me think of how I can venture into passion farming and make it available in the nearest market and at a cheaper price.
Farming has offered her so many opportunities and she’s surprised youths are still reluctant to venture into farming as a business.
“The agricultural sector is open to all people regardless of their background. If I can do it as an accountant, then anybody can.”
“The youth need to cultivate the right attitude towards agriculture and start perceiving it as a potential source of employment.”
However it has not been easy, she says.
“Coming from a totally different background, I had to carefully learn everything before making a move.”
Even though she has her business plan well drawn, Catherine finds it invaluable to be able to seek advice from a YPARD mentor who has gone through similar experiences as her before.
“It is great to get another person’s perspective on things.”