NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 12 – Tribus-TSG, a subsidiary of Centum Investment Plc, is set to hit a Sh1 billion revenue target from the sale of apparel and interior decor materials.
This is less than two years since Tribus-TSG entered into a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, through the Ajiry program in 2019, to create sustainable and scalable impact on young Kenyans entering the labour market.
The youths, print 3D wallpapers that are usually imported from Europe and Asia, as part of their Made in Africa manufacturing initiative.
“We are presently the main distributor to several architectural firms, interior designers, and retailers. One of the retail buyers, Orca Décor, has been a loyal customer and supporter of the youth enterprise initiative,” said Jamal Munyao, the General Manager of the sustainable side of the enterprise.
Tribus-TSG partnership with Mastercard Foundation in Kenya, under its Young Africa Works initiative, aims to enable five million youths access dignified work.
The Tribus-TSG youth enterprise arm is projected to report earnings of over KES 100 million in the coming months, which represents a 5-fold return on investment.
The young people are also involved in textile and garment making. Kenya’s textile and apparel sector has the potential to play a key role in anchoring the country’s economic status and in serving as a source of dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for its fast-growing, young population.
“In terms of the opportunities, the textile-apparel industry still heavily relies on importation, while the items can be produced right here to give youths work opportunities,” said Munyao.
Tribus-TSG also runs Centum’s Ajiry app, which connects employers with workers for short-term, contractual or one-off employment opportunities.
“I first signed up on Ajiry after being recommended by a friend who had gotten a security job days after applying through the application. I created my profile and uploaded my CV, which I found very easy. I applied for numerous jobs from the Ajiry live jobs section. After two weeks, I was called for an interview as a Hygiene specialist which I passed. Today, I pay for my computer classes fee, which I do parttime, help my parents in their farming project and support my two young sisters back in the village.” said Miriam Wanjohi, a beneficiary of the Ajiry Program.
Tribus-TSG’s innovation created a Zero Contact food distribution system that helped to distribute essentials to 504,196 people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in the past 18 months while observing the Health ministry social distancing protocols. Details of beneficiary families are captured in the system after which they are invited to pick food hampers thereby eliminating super-spreader crowds.
