UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

05/18/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/18/2021 05:48

Interview: Seven questions to Shirlene Nafula, Young Business Owner from Kenya

Ahead of the second Biennale of Luanda and its Intergenerational Dialogue that will gather 150 young leaders from all over Africa and its diasporas, discover young African leader Shirlene Nafula from Kenya. She responded to seven questions about her experience as a young business owner and about her work to support her community.

Young African leaders need to be granted seats at decision making tables.

Shirlene Nafula

1. Could you tell us about your company, Crystal River Products Ltd and about CEED, the non-profit organization that you founded?

Crystal River Products Ltd is a manufacturing company for beauty and hygiene products. We are based in Nairobi, Kenya and distribute our products actively across Eastern Africa. We have a vision of having an established presence globally in the years to come.
The Centre for Economic Empowerment and Development (CEED) on the other hand, is a non for profit organization whose core mandate is to give back and equally empower and develop genders.

2. What are you currently working on with your business and what are the various challenges you are facing resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic?

At Crystal River Products Ltd we manufacture and distribute a range of beauty and cleaning products such as: hand wash, hand sanitizers, body lotions, shower gels, shampoo, glycerin, multi-purpose wash etc. Pre-COVID supplied these products to hotel suppliers who used to supply across East Africa. With the pandemic, many hotels were closed and certain elements of our business recorded nul revenues for a while.

3. What inspired you to found Crystal River Products and CEED?

Crystal River Products was birthed from those intensely low moments of my life. A denied visa application, an honest conversation with God and the need to promote better health through better hygiene. For CEED, together with my co-founders, it was the need and desire to truly make the world a better place by giving back and helping as many people as we possibly could through various ways.

Young people first and foremost need to know and understand that the change we want to see begins with us!

4. What are the main challenges you daily face as a young business owner?

The challenges are many from unfavorable tax and licenses systems from our governments, financial challenges to scale, lack of enough mentorship, training and support, competing with multiù-nationals who have years of experience and endowed with numerous resources for growth to market linkages.

5. How could young African leaders be more involved in decision-making processes at the continental level?

Young African leaders need to be granted seats at decision making tables. No decision on young people should be made without having young people at the table. Not just having the opinion of young people heard but being included in key policy discussions and outcomes. Key bodies like African Union, UNESCO, ACFTA, etc., should always endeavor to make sure young people are aware of what is going on, how it benefits/affects them and their future and how they can be actively involved to have their voices heard and included.

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6. What is the role of youth in achieving the culture of peace in Africa?

Young people first and foremost need to know and understand that the change we want to see begins with us! As we front for positive policy related discussions for peace at various levels, we should not allow ourselves to be used as instruments of war by some of our leaders. We should refuse to be incited to wars/battles and used to assist individuals achieve their own objectives. As young people let us be our brothers' keepers! From personal to corporate levels, may we always have high levels of respect and love for other people regardless of their background, race, ethnicity, cultural or religious differences.

7. What advice would you give to other young African who would like to create their own business to support their communities?

Start where you are and start with what you have. It will not be easy but someday it will all be worth it!