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Many people associate coffee only with a hot drink, but 32-year-old Doris Obondo is proving the crop can deliver much more than a jolt of caffeine.

From facial soaps and lotions to candles and cosmetics, Obondo has built a growing business around coffee value addition, turning a childhood struggle into an entrepreneurial venture.

The founder of Aloeflora Products Limited says her business was inspired by growing up in a large family where even basic necessities such as soap were sometimes out of reach.

“When I was growing up, there were nine siblings in my family and my parents struggled even to put food on the table,” she tells the Star. “Things like soap were out of the question and that’s what inspired me to begin the business that I’m in right now.”

Obondo recalls collecting tiny pieces of soap and drying them because the family sometimes went for days without soap for washing.

“I would take the small pieces of soap, put them togetherand dry them,” she says. “When we didn’t have soap the following day, I would boil them to form something like a paste so the entire house could have soap again.”

Those experiences pushed her towards value addition and finding ways of making useful products from coffee while reducing waste from the crop.

Coffee oil in skincare provides antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s rich in linoleic and oleic acids to nourish dry or aging skin.

Caffeine stimulates blood circulation and collagen production, reducing puffiness and brightening skin. In soaps, it serves as a moisturising oil and natural exfoliant when coffee grinds are used.

In beauty and skincare products, high caffeine content also promotes elastin production, tightening skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Coffee oil also has chlorogenic acid, reducing inflammation and protecting the skin.

Today, Obondo has developed 23 product lines, including bath soaps, dishwashing soap, shower gels, candles and coffee-based cosmetics. She has also recently ventured into making coffee candles.

Obondo completed secondary school in 2009 but could not join university immediately after her mother died. Soon after, her father retired, leaving the family struggling financially.

She says it took 10 years before she was finally able to pursue higher education after receiving sponsorship to study business administration at university.

“Through God’s will, someone was able to sponsor me to go to university,” Obondo says.

“During that time, my lecturer was teaching entrepreneurship and said instead of exams, we were told to come up with a business idea. That is when I thought about advancing my soap-making business.”

“This time I wanted to try something like liquid soap and I presented it,” she says. “During graduation in 2022, I received an award for being the best innovative student on campus.”

Obondo says her early attempts at production came with challenges, particularly balancing pH levels and viscosity in her products. However, things changed after a lecturer introduced her to the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (Kirdi).

“That was my first contact with Kirdi and I learnt how to make soap properly,” she says. “I also learnt I could be trained to make different products, and that’s how I now have 23 product lines.”

She sources raw materials from local coffee farmers, buying green coffee beans, which she roasts before extracting the oil used in production of soaps, creams, lotions.

“I use this oil for the entire production because it helps keep the skin firm,” Obondo explains. “It also has properties that fight acne and has anti-ageing effects on the skin.”

She is currently producing body lotions, face creams and soaps made from coffee.

The process is expensive and labour-intensive.

“For example, if I want 100ml of coffee oil, I have to roast about 20kg of green coffee beans, so that makes it very expensive,” the entrepreneur says. “The other challenge is that many people are still not aware that such products exist.”

Processing costs also remain high because she currently uses Kirdi facilities at a subsidised fee.

Once her two-year contract expires, she will have to continue production independently.

She has faced barriers to small manufacturing, including high production costs, limited public awareness and dependence on subsidised facilities.

Her experience underscores the need for stronger support systems for grassroots innovators and value-addition enterprises.

Despite the hurdles, Obondo says she wants young people to pursue their ideas without fear.

“The idea that you have, just do it,” she says.

She mainly markets and sells her products through social media platforms.

Obondo was among women showcasing value-added products during the International Day of Women in Industry, established by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido) in November last year and observed annually on April 21.

Speaking during the recent Kenya celebrations, Unido representative to Kenya Tally Einav said the day reflects a growing recognition that gender equality is not only a social goal but also an economic strategy.

“Where women equally work, lead and innovate, industries become more productive, competitive and resilient,” she said, noting that nearly 70 per cent of Unido’s new projects in 2024 promoted gender equality.

Instant analysis

Doris Obondo’s entrepreneurial journey reflects a growing shift towards value addition as young people seek to earn more from agricultural products beyond traditional markets. She also highlights how innovation, technical training and small-scale manufacturing can create opportunities for women and youth despite financial hardship. By turning coffee into cosmetics and household products, she is tapping into a niche market while supporting local farmers through sourcing raw materials locally.