Plumbee Wholefoods: Supporting Women, Nourishing Kenya's Children

In 2021, June Muchuku founded Plumbee Wholefoods in Kenya. It is a women-founded agro-processing company dedicated to eradicating childhood malnutrition. By partnering with women farmers, Plumbee provides nutritious, affordable, and tasty food for children while bolstering economic opportunities for women.

June Muchuku and the Plumbee team

What is the problem?

In Kenya, one in four schoolchildren is chronically undernourished due to poor access to healthy and affordable food. This results in higher child mortality, poor school performance, and lower economic productivity. Poor families, especially those in rural areas, cannot afford nutrient-dense foods, leading to their lack of essential nutrients like iron and vitamin A.

What is the Plumbee solution?

Plumbee addresses malnutrition from two angles. First, Plumbee produces low-cost, high-quality foods such as porridge and organic flours from locally grown ingredients and traditional African flavors that are culturally unique and address targeted nutritional deficiencies.

Plumbee food scientists

Second, Plumbee employs and trains low-income women farmers to grow and produce the necessary ingredients, integrating the female farmers into the value chain. Through a rigorous five-week training program in farming, finance, and food processing, women gain skills to earn twice what they do in traditional farming.

Why is Plumbee Innovative?

Plumbee's model is unique in that it combines economic empowerment and healthy eating. Utilizing local crops and native flavors, food production is inexpensive and culturally appealing. The cooperative model positions women at the center of the value chain, overcoming gender inequalities in agriculture while combating childhood malnutrition. The use of solar dryers to process grains further introduces a sustainable dimension to its activities.

What is the impact to date?

Since its inception, Plumbee has fed 80,000 needy Kenyan children nutritious foods, comparable to more expensive foods like milk and eggs. The company has trained over 100 women farmers in essential skills and purchased approximately $18,500 worth of raw materials, a significant figure given Kenya's average annual per capita wage of roughly $2,000. Beyond this, Plumbee has developed leadership and advocacy skills among women, enhancing confidence and community resilience.

Plumbee food products

What needs to improve?

Plumbee should extend beyond Kenya to reach more African countries to boost its impact. Investment in processing plants and solar dryer machinery would enhance operating efficiency. Additional funding and training are needed for business growth. In addition, distribution channel expansion would improve access to remote communities.

Plumbee is reimagining the fight against childhood malnutrition in Kenya through healthy, affordable food and empowering low-income women farmers. It's an innovative, woman-driven approach that tackles nutritional and economic challenges simultaneously, a sustainable model for transformation. As it expands, constructs more facilities, and reaches more capital, Plumbee can be a prime driver of fighting malnutrition in Africa and ensuring that every child has a healthy start. Sources: https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/fellow/june-muchuku

https://www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/women-entrepreneurship-for-africa/agriculture-2/plumbee-wholefoods-ltd 

https://www.plumbee.africa/

https://www.oacps.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Kenya.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oVvPDMKMLk