Making Returns From Passion

Cavin Kanoko | Monday March 2, 2020 15:31

 

Making Returns From Passion

Former Home Economics teacher,  Hillary Koodirile, driven by her passion for spreading the message on healthy living, started her own business in line with her passion.

Kohita Investments, a milling company based in Selebi-Phikwe produces milled grains, an important factor in healthy eating. The company mills and packages grains like sorghum, maize, wheat grain and millet into different products such as maize meal, sorghum meal and millet meal packaged with a temporary sticker, ‘Real Meal’ branding, which will be changed in the near future through the assistance of the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA). 

“My target market includes hospitals, schools, retail stores, prisons and hotels. I am well aware of my competitors who are already well established. I have an edge over them because I educate people on healthy eating unlike them,” she said.

“They also do not afford potential clients the opportunity to try out their products before purchasing them, which is something I do myself.”

To beat her competitors Koodirile said she has food charts in her factory, which she uses to educate clients. She also prepares some of her products to use as samples during flea markets and exhibitions. The company currently sources grains from Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board, which is their primary supplier while they get some from local farmers.

Koodirile is also optimistic about the market for her products noting that more people are moving from eating refined food to healthy foods.

“With our products already being certified by Food Botswana, it is only a matter of time before our products make a big presence in the diet of Batswana,” she said. Koodirile revealed her plans of visiting institutions and teaching people on a healthy lifestyle, as she believes that nothing can break her determination and patience that she has for her work. The business was funded by Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency to the tune of P265,000. The funds were used to acquire a hammer mill and the other milling machines they use along with the first batch of grains they used for milling. LEA has also been instrumental in terms of refining the company’s business plan, marketing the product, training and supporting the business in order to help it grow.