Startup Story
Purity Gakuo is a climate change advocate and founder of Kuza Freezer in Kenya. Her business bridges the cold chain gap in the fish value and supply chain by making refrigeration affordable to the small-scale fishers of Africa. She has a zeal for improving the livelihood of people in her community and Africa at large, especially women and youth, through affordable refrigeration. She has a professional background in business management with 4 years of experience, and has won several awards including the AFCFTA Caravan Prize, in recognition of her role as a community champion.
Lionesses of Africa spoke to Purity to learn how she was inspired to start her business and what motivates her to take it to the next level of impact.
When did your start your business?
My business idea for Kuza Freezer was born in early 2020 but was officially registered in July 2021. Today the business employs 11 people.
“We are bridging the cold chain gap in the fish value and supply chain by making refrigeration affordable to the small-scale fishers of Africa.”
“Our solution has enabled our customers to have a 60% increase in their monthly income by cutting the ice cost and reducing the amount of fish lost.”
What does your company do?
We are bridging the cold chain gap in the fish value and supply chain by making refrigeration affordable to the small-scale fishers of Africa. We do this by manufacturing and distributing climate-friendly, low-cost, and solar powered freezers known as “Kuza Freezers." This solution helps these rural fishermen to effectively deal with the huge challenge of post-harvest losses by extending the shelf life of their catch. We also manufacture solar-powered freezers on a tricycle that bridges the mobility gap and enables them to freeze as they ride giving them easy access to markets in remote areas. We offer these products on a pay-as-you-go payment model that is sustainable for low-income fishers.
Our solution has enabled our customers to have a 60% increase in their monthly income by cutting the ice cost and reducing the amount of fish lost. Kuza Freezer has led to the creation of more than 160 direct and indirect jobs for youth and women in manufacturing, distribution, and in the fish value chain. We are currently working with 10,000 small-scale fishers in Kenya, and so far, we have been able to reach over 250 customers with our solution.
What inspired you to start your company?
I have interacted with over 6,000 small-scale fishers in Kenya for over 6 years and
understood their pain points in their day-to-day fishing activities. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, we have over 12.3 million small-scale fishers. About 52% of these populations stay off-grid and approximately 45% of their daily harvest goes to waste before it can be sold or safely consumed due to lack of access to affordable and reliable cold storage solutions. Most of these fisherfolk also depend on ice to preserve their fish harvest, and a single fisherman can spend at least $4 a day on ice to preserve their catch. This has not been sustainable for the majority of them in the long run. I saw this as a huge cold-chain gap in the fish value chain, and this is what inspired me to start Kuza Freezer to bridge it.
“Kuza Freezer has led to the creation of more than 160 direct and indirect jobs for youth and women in manufacturing, distribution, and in the fish value chain.”
Why should anyone use your service or product?
We offer a low-cost and climate-smart cold-storage solution with remote monitoring capabilities that improve service quality. Our products are also powered by solar, hence suitable for off-grid usage. We offer the" pay as you go" payment model, which makes it affordable and sustainable for the low-income small-scale fishermen.
Tell us a little about your team
We have a creative, dedicated, and diverse team with vast experiences in manufacturing, solar energy engineering, marketing, and aquaculture. We put inclusivity into much consideration in terms of balancing gender representation, and people living with disability.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I came from a humble family background and, while in secondary school and in college, I engaged myself in small business activities such as: selling thrift women dresses and jewellery, and selling handwritten recipe cards. This would cater for my personal needs while in school. I knew that I had passion and would pursue entrepreneurship even after my tertiary education, and so when I saw an opportunity in my community, I was excited to innovate and come up with a solution. I attribute my entrepreneurial passion to my mother, who would sell door to door while we were growing up. Entrepreneurship has been an interesting journey with lots of lessons, ups, and downs, but the motivating thing is that it has contributed to my growth as an individual and for our direct and indirect employees as well as our Kuza Freezer beneficiaries.
“We are currently working with 10,000 small-scale fishers in Kenya, and so far, we have been able to reach over 250 customers with our solution.”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Most of our production processes are manual, which makes it hard to meet the rising demand from our customers. My future plans and aspirations are to scale our company manufacturing processes by investing in modern machinery, which will not only enable us to accelerate our production processes but also cut down the cost of production. Our product has the potential to scale, and we are looking to extend our services to various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in the coming few years.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
I am satisfied and motivated when I see that I have created an impact in the lives of other people. The fish value chain is usually a male-dominated sector, however 60% of the fish harvest is sold and marketed by women. It's fulfilling to me as an entrepreneur to see how far women are getting empowered, and by using our solutions to improve their livelihoods.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
I believe women have the potential to change the world. Take the first step, which is always the hardest and start the journey towards your goals. Believe in possibilities because nothing is impossible where there's a will and the zeal to achieve
Contact or follow Kuza Freezer
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | EMAIL kuzafreezer@gmail.com
Why LoA loves it….
Our philosophy at Lionesses of Africa has always been that if you can see a problem that needs to be solved in society or in your local community, then you have a potential business. Purity Gakuo is an entrepreneur who saw a major challenge in her local fishing community that needed to be solved, and it proved to be her motivation to start her business. Today, she is making an impact and changing lives by solving a real challenge for Africa’s small-scale fishers, and in the process, creating jobs for local people. Inspirational! — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa