Veeklture was founded by Violet Ochieng, a young and energetic entrepreneur who grew in Kibera herself under very challenging conditions. Violet graduated with a degree in Sociology from Moi University in 2017 and is an alumni of the Young Africans Leadership Initiative (YALI). Violet's vision was to educate, prepare and connect teen mothers for success. She did this by providing information and resources on reproductive health, parenting, and healthy living. She created peer networks, support groups, and mentorship programs to promote positive relationship building among teen mothers.

What started out a community building initiative has since evolved into a social enterprise selling eco-conscious, affordable and trendy washable nappies. Not only is Veeklture exploring to build a market-driven business, Veeklture now has an opportunity to empower teen mothers through the provision of employment so they can become self-sufficient.

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Challenge

Violets's journey started when she saw mothers airing out disposable diapers for re-use. Diapers are expensive and especially so for those in the slums. At the same time, the outhouses and dumpsters in Kibera where access to water and sanitation is limited, were being filled up by disposable diapers. These were often dragged apart by straying animals.

Solution‍

Violet saw an opportunity to start a business to address the problem and at the same time, provide job opportunities for the mothers she already works with. The idea of producing washable nappies from cut-offs from local tailors took off. Violet has explored designs and built prototypes by reverse-engineering diapers she saw were being sold.

Violet's business idea started with the urban poor community of Kibera in mind but the washable diaper market also has market potential in a country that is fast growing economically, has a young population and a growing middle class. Globally, there is already a growing demand for sustainable diaper. Key drivers are increasing environmental consciousness and sustainability concerns among parents. Washable diapers that are fun, trendy, adjustable and easy to clean have also removed many inferior perceptions previously linked to nappies. Quite the contrary, cloth diapering your child is increasingly trendy!

Veeklture makes two types of diapers that are gentle on babies skin, leak-proof, adjustable to grow with a baby/toddler, and incorporating the African Kitenge fabric. The two lines have different entry prices and cater to the different needs of the two different customer segments - the premium Kitenge diaper that is marketed to middle to upper class parents, and the basic washable diaper marketed through NGO projects, clinics and hospitals. In spite of the long-term cost-effectiveness of washable diapers, Veeklture is still exploring how to make the initial investment more manageable for poorer families.

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Impact

Veeklture has community and environmental impact, whilst being market-driven by the poorer masses as well as a growing eco-conscious Kenyan middle class.

1. Affordability to a needed daily good: Diapers are a necessity. Veeklture works to make a necessity affordable, also to the poor.
2. Sustainability: The disposable diaper industry provided convenience at a high cost to the environment. Veeklture works to be part of the coming sustainable diaper boom.
3. Job Creation: Veeklture provide jobs for young mothers who are only marginally employable. We love that these same mothers are addressing a problem that affects all mothers.
4. Holistic transformation: Veeklture provides the platform and space for conversations needed around teenage pregnancy, gender empowerment and mental health. The mentorship, discipling, and networks created for young mothers have priceless impact!

Conclusion

Veeklture is at a start-up phase, still developing its minimum viable product, and working to build a business model that works. It has yet to unlock how the costs of working with young mothers can be borne solely by the diaper business. Violet sees that Veeklture may need to be sustained with some hybrid funding until the business is able to sustain the added costs solely through diaper sales. In such an instance, it is a privilege for Intentum to journey with a budding impact-driven entrepreneur and scaffold a business as one of many stakeholders in their entrepreneurial journey of impact!

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