UPCOMING EVENT - LET'S JOIN HANDS AND SAVE A LIFE NOW!!!!!.

Latest news that has gotten muzzled up and ignored in the midst of all the noise in my beloved Country Kenya today is the fact that there is hunger in some parts of the country, Children and adults are dying of the effects of hunger, malnutrition, lack of food or even the strength to move to the next village to borrow if there was while we all go along with the usual. Death, hunger, malnutrition is not usual and is not normal and those facing the same surely are not interested in anything else apart form seeing their loved one survive another day. African traditions recognized neighborliness and growing up my neighbor would share food with us whether you were their child or not. Mothers would cook extra and give out however small to the neighbors and my mother would tell us " you can not hide the smell of food and besides you never know how much blessings you will have called upon yourself by sharing your food with the neighbor even though they cooked meat and you cooked sukumawiki"

 My pain for children comes from my past experiences where i have lost two of my own thus shudder when i think what a fellow mother goes through when they see themselves loosing their child and more so to hunger and malnutrition which is very slow and painful yet they do not have the means or ways to means to do anything.

 This got me worried and thinking and i sent out word through my social media pages  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brad-Supplies-Logistics offering to help at least 2 children affected by malnutrition Philani precooked Maize and Soya Porridge which is one of the porridges' that we offer for addressing malnutrition and mass wastage of the body as a result of hunger or low immunity. As i waited since i have not been to the affected areas of Pokot, Turkana or Baringo i was surprised that this could go unnoticed for 2 days yet occasionally on social media people would use that situation as a reason to hit out at others who do not support their position in the political arena.

So a good guy from Waumini Communication (Managing Director) i have only met on social media two days later if i have got any response or are still looking for someone. I quickly whisper a small prayer and respond that we have not yet found a family and he tells me The Catholic Diocese of Nakuru has launched an appeal and that they need contributions in terms of food stuff and money. He emails me the appeal and lo and behold, i read the first time and its beyond my two children i wanted to help, read a second time and  i give my colleague in the office to read as it is bigger than what we thought and the statistics shocking.

"The statistics are that (FEWSNET report for Kenya) 34% of children under the age of 5 are at risk of malnutrition signifying an increase of 7% from the five year average and the predictions are much disturbing and are expected to continue rising as a result of the  drought. In April 2014 Rotu Mission recorded the highest rate of malnutrition for children under 5 at 46% while Kositei Mission recorded the highest rate of loss of livestock. The effects of prolonged dry spell combined with a short, belated rainy season have caused widespread hunger. A larger proportion of people within the jurisdiction and mostly in East Pokot are in dire need of emergency food assistance. It is for this reason the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru ahs dedicated the month of June 2014 for a campaign dubbed Okoa watu wa East Pokot na Turkana (Turkot)  in which an appeal is being made to the general public to donate either foodstuffs or give cash contributions towards this noble cause. We are therefore appealing to you for financial, technical or any other form of support to assist the Pokot fraternity"

Dear God i asked for a small challenge, i am just starting up my business but you dropped a bigger plate or is it a bucket that i need to fill but i cannot do it on my own. I am looking forward to doing my part but i need to bring in a few more people on-board to help me get one full container of 1100 cartons (110,000 pkts of 1kg each) within the next 15 days to  be used by both adults and children for usd 47,000 broken down as  follows:-

FOR PHILANI PORRIDGE PRECOOKED FORTIFIED MAIZE AND SOYA PORRIDGE).

Is a tasty pre-cooked and fortified Maize and Soya Porridge for adults with compromised immune, at risk of malnutrition and restore body mass wasted by malnutrition. Mix with hot Water and ready to drink. It is fortified with Zymmune (amylase, Phytates and Oxidants) which lowers the viscosity of the porridge aiding with quick digestion

FOR CHILDREN

1.       One packet is 1kg (mix with hot water and ready to drink)

2.       One packet gives 10 servings they need 2 servings a day meaning they would use it for 5 days ( we need to give 5  packets for a whole month)

3.       One serving is 100gm (there is a scoop inside) add 250ml of water.

FOR ADULTS

1.       One packet is 1kg (mix with hot water and ready to drink)

2.       One packet gives 10 servings they need one serving a day meaning they would use it for 10 days ( we need to give 3 packets for a whole month) we are assuming they have a separate source of some sort of meal if not then they will also have to take it twice.

One serving is 100gm (there is a scoop inside) add 250ml of water



 Doing this calculation i just could not start to imagine how i would do this but i trust God, my friends and all those of good will around the world who read my blogs that it shall come to pass. I hope that this will come to pass and that someone will pick my call and partner with me in this response. so that we can get the supplies in the next 15 days to our affected brothers and sisters.

It's time to act now and prove that our strengths are much more than our differences and that we are our brothers keepers.

Send me your suggestions on how we can contribute towards getting that 1100 cartons (usd 47,000) within the shortest time possible. You can also give your time towards this noble cause and lets support the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru respond to this crisis.

You can also buy and donate to the church directly, we will then collect and send to the church and also get in touch withWaumini communications for more details.

Info@bradchelinvestments.com or inbox our Facebook page, send us a tweet or Whatssapp 0733749203 with your suggestion.

SOLDERING ON DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES

This week has been exciting and exhausting all at the same time. On Thursday I was actually so tired that I could not lift my head up and had to sleep in 3 extra hours than I usually do. I think being the super woman has finally caught up with me and put me in my place.
So far things are still falling into place but at a much more slower pace than i expected or had played out in mind. Financing is still a challenge and we are able to bring in half a container from our personal resources meaning we still pay more in terms of transport and this really troubles me as i have to weigh between bringing in half and still sell at the cost of the full, counting the losses and maintain the unit price same as if we had brought in a full container where the freight cost is evenly and fairly distributed.

On a personal level (and i would wish those who have traveled this route could write back to me on this) i feel lonely and abandoned by friends and those who all along encouraged and always believed that i could do it. As i worry and think through things i look around and have no one to talk to except my family who are also as anxious as me and yet i do not want to get them more worried for me. I need a strong fort to come back to at the end of the day.

I have learnt that the road less traveled is very lonely and when it comes to comfort no one is willing to offer that. I have also learnt that if i have to get this through this first phase then i have to toughen up and march on focused on the final destination. I somewhat think i will find all of them at the end waiting to celebrate and enjoy with me (not sure how i will receive them at this point). My constant friend has been articles from http://www.linkedin.com and http://www.40billion.com/  with interesting articles that have kept me going for the time being besides my family. Not having my very close friends for two months and not even one picking a phone to ask me how i am doing its sad....

On to other matters we are bringing in small amount of supplies and hope that we will turn around within a short time and do two of such small within the month of June as we invest back the profits to increase our capital.
 And as we were talking to our neighbors within the office park and introducing ourselves and what we do and deal with since the building is still new and most tenants are still moving in, we met a couple of interesting  neighbors and one who loudly wondered what we ever did in that space (Nyumba Kumi initiative should extend to office buildings). Talking to people and selling your product can yield interesting results and this made add two more products for commercial use unlike the first 5 products that were targeting Humanitarian agencies.

A lady asked what do you have that my sister can use since she is a vegetarian and does not use dairy products. Immediately we went back and was able to find out that our manufacturer has a commercial wing that produces Powdered Soya Milk and Powdered Soya Milk as regular and normal drinks. Meaning we now have 9 products Including Philani Precooked porridges and Nutrimil for both children and adults, RUSF/RUTF (not for Kenyan Market), Powdered Soya Milk, Powdered Soya Milk Plus ( for diabetics) and  Powdered Rice Milk.

We are hoping that in the next coming week our products will be accessible to all of our clients including Humanitarian Organizations, Health Centers and at a retail store for the commercial products.

Next i will update us on what we are planning to do as part of our entry into the communities to allow organizations benefit from the goodness and benefits of our products in partnership with different organizations as they respond to the current drought in Kenya.

In the meantime we are calling on all organizations that are responding to the crisis to partner with us as to help provide the required food supplements those affected by malnutrition and hunger. We are willing to go an extra mile and provide the supplements at affordable and lowest cost you can find in the market. We have a lead time of 15 days for delivery from the factory thus making your response timely and effective.

Email us on info@bradchelinvestments.com or call us on 020 2306839.

For use by humanitarian organisations in addressing malnutrition, body wastage  and low immunity.

 For Commercial Use

UPCOMINNG EVENT

Dear Friends, lets give back to our children, brothers and sisters who are staring and Hunger,malnutrition and starvation.
According to FEWSNET 34% of children under the age of 5yrs are at risk of malnutrition and is bound to rise as the drought continues. The Catholic Diocese of Nakuru has sent out an appeal "Okoa watu wa East Pokot na Turkana" (TURKOT) for donations in terms foodstuffs or cash contributions for those within their jurisdiction particularly Rotu and Kositei Mission.
Find out what we are doing and how you can partner with us to give a pkt of fortified Maize/Soya to the Catholic church for this noble cause.

All the best for the coming week

We wish you all a blessed week ahead. For those with whom our paths will cross this week we trust that we will be a blessing to you and that we will be able to serve you to your satisfaction and meet your expectations well enough to tell a friend..

You can contact us through our page or email to info@bradchelinvestments.com or call 020-2306839 and talk to Maureen

 

Contribute to my Fundraising for the Business -https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/8jpp5/ab/93CTRd

https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/8jpp5/ab/93CTRd

My Journey 4 (Challenges with Financing and a CSR project from my class)

Setting up a business is quite challenging and very involving, I just did not realize this until now that I have fully immersed myself into this whole process that I had to take time off my blog to attend to the many demanding activities that need my attention. For one day I threw everything down and decided not to do anything at all not even responding to calls on my phone I just slept out of exhaustion and frustration.

I am also appreciating my passion and the fact that I believe strongly in what I am doing and its potential that I had to wake up the following day and push on.

I have reached a place where I need to now bring in the supplies and get off the sampling and start targeting actual sales. However Financing is quite a challenge since I have to balance between loose cargo shipment costs if I bring in a few  (100 cartons) and bringing in a full container that best utilizes and minimizes the costs as a result of one consignment.

I have learnt with so much disappointment that in Kenya most people are wary of financing a new business even when they agree that the business has potential and would like to be associated with it but in future.

I was visibly annoyed when one institution in the process of negotiating and failing to come to an agreement later on sent me an email requesting that I advise when we launch the products and that they would want to have a presence in the launch. I have not responded to the mail to date, and have been wondering what do they take me for?

The other alternative that was open and I seriously thought about it was short term financing which I could not believe the rates charged of up to 15% per month and I kept asking myself do they mean to tell me that I will only be working for them seriously, so what do my clients get and how do I cover my operations costs.

This has delayed my launch as I work through the financing. Thanks to me family that has raised part of the capital and I have to work through the balance to make commercial sense. In the meantime I have to go back to crowd funding and run a serious campaign (anyone out there who can help me manage the campaign and raised the required funds i am open to your support and help with this part) to get funds shortly since I believe I am on the right track and this can work. My link  is https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/8jpp5/ab/93CTRd and would encourage you all to start contributing and be part of my success and story.

To divert a bit to other things happening in my life as I balance my duties as a mother, a wife, lately a business woman and a Student, Monday classes resumed for the summer semester and the last semester for me before my graduation in Organization Development in August 2014.

I am taking this class on Project and Fundraising and part of the course work requirement is to develop a proposal for a community based project that will benefit a community. I have decided to stretch if further and do a proposal based on my entrepreneurship business model that will build reading rooms for young people to be able to access modern reading facilities after school hours.

I have done a draft and hope to share this with well wishers and donors. I will also tie this to my Fundraising campaign https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/8jpp5/ab/93CTRd  that will eventually see that the full amount of funds raised will be channeled towards this worthy cause.

This gives me more reason to ensure that the business is a success and sustains itself enough to allow me withdraw all the monies received through my campaign from the business to benefit a young person by providing them with a safe, secure and modern facility to study after school hours or during school holidays now that tuition has been banned by the government.

Today is Saturday and I need to place my orders yet I still have to raise 1/4 of the balance and I have no idea where from. I need a miracle by Monday morning and my contacts interested in the products have started calling for follow up meetings next week. I Trust that God will make a way in this and Monday 19th I will surely confirm the order to arrive on time for the launch for 2nd June.

For more info call us on 020 2306839 or drop an email info@bradchelinvestments.com (email is faster)

 



Coming up are plans for the launch and products

Coming Soon

Coming to a store, shop or supermarket next to you is:

Rice Milk- powder, soluble in cold water with added vitamins and minerals, gluten and cholesterol free, naturally lactose free food. Enjoy as the healthy alternative to milk.

Plain Lactose free Soy Milk powder, soluble in cold water with added vitamins and minerals, gluten and cholesterol free with less than 2.4grams of fat per 100ml and a source of vitamins. Enjoy as the healthy alternative to milk.

Low Fat Soy Milk powder, soluble in cold water with added vitamins and minerals, gluten and cholesterol free with 1.2grams of fat per 100ml, naturally lactose free food. Enjoy as the healthy alternative to milk.

Soy Milk PLUS – Casein Free powder, soluble in cold water with added vitamins and minerals, gluten and cholesterol free. It is a source of vitamins, high in protein and is a naturally dairy free food. It is low GI and suitable for Diabetics and Vegans. Soy Milk Plus has been tested by the Glycaemic Foundation of South Africa and found to have a low GI value. The product also complies with the specification for the Often Foods (Green) GIFSA and Diabetes South Africa endorsement logos. Enjoy as the healthy alternative to milk

Call 020 2306839 or info@bradchelinvestments.com for more information