What began as a simple school assignment has blossomed into a thriving enterprise, defying expectations of an inspiring young entrepreneur in Lanet, Nakuru.

Then, when Jordan Kerama started, it was just an assignment supported by his mother in line with the CBC curriculum, says his mother, Clare Nyaboke.

“When Jordan, then seven years old, was given an assignment to develop a business idea, the school was just aiming to keep the children engaged. For his age, I was not expecting much. He liked watching videos of children cooking, and when the opportunity came up, he decided to do the juice-making and selling business for the assignment,” says Nyaboke, the Manager of Kerama Juices.

Clare Nyaboke, Kerama's mother and manager of Kerama Juices.

Photo credit: COURTESY

When asked which kind of juices he wanted to make, Kerama said he’d check and see what was available then which were avocados and bananas.

The initial assignment required a video submission, which Jordan completed successfully.

The second time, the school asked all businesses in the manufacturing and production sector to sell their products, first to their parents and then to Grade 4 students at school, where he made Sh. 4,500.

“I wanted to support Kerama’s efforts and felt the need for his business to look presentable. And so, I helped him invest in buying disposable cups and created labels for the juices. To have a complete presentation, I even asked the name he wanted for the business, and he said his name. We used repurposed 5-litre tomato sauce containers for packaging,” says the mother of two.

The presentation impressed both teachers and students, who shared it on their social media pages, leading to sales, which prompted Nyaboke to do the same.

Kerama Juices now offers over 40 flavours from three, including popular combinations like mango lemongrass, pineapple, and mango beetroot.

The company focuses on using natural ingredients and has developed a sustainable supply chain to ensure the availability of fruits even during the off-season.

They prioritize creating juices with health benefits, catering to various dietary needs and preferences- those with acidity issues who want appetizers, non-appetizers, and detoxifiers, among others.

The company produces between 10-400 litres of juice, depending on the season and customer orders, which is sold in various sizes to cater to different customer needs: 250 ml bottles go for Sh. 50, 500 ml bottles range between Sh. 100 and Sh 150, half-litre containers sell for Sh. 100 to Sh200 and one-litre bottles are priced between Sh. 200 and Sh 300.

Now 11 years old, Kerama has managed to expand the business to two outlets, the CBD and Lanet, through the support of his parents, now with seven employees from just one.

One of its most significant accomplishments, Nyaboke says, is achieving sustainability as the company now runs efficiently on its own, with well-established systems in place.

But this has not been one without challenges.

Jordan Kerama(left), his mom, brother and other employees of Kerama Juices.

Photo credit: COURTESY

“Early on, we learned that managing fruit shortages during off-seasons was a major hurdle. To overcome this, we worked hard to build relationships with reliable suppliers who could provide us with fruits year-round,” says Nyaboke.

“We also had to get creative with our recipes. I remember when we couldn't get the apple mangoes we usually used - we didn't give up, but instead experimented with other mango varieties to keep our production going.”

She adds that another challenge was figuring out the right quantities to produce. “We had to strike a delicate balance between making enough juice to meet customer demand and avoiding overproduction that could lead to waste.”

Another was the perception that she’d introduced her child to money too early which was detrimental.

However, Nyaboke argues that if wealthy families instil the value of money in their children at birth, this argument holds no water.

Looking to the future, Kerama Juices has ambitious plans to own and control all stages of production, from farming the fruits to packaging the final product.

Nyaboke encourages parents to support their children's ideas and listen to them. She emphasizes the importance of valuing their perspectives and creating job opportunities whenever possible.

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