Though Mama usually uses this blog for to keep all of you updated on my (Jaden) life, today she asked me if she could write something about Baba; and of course, I said yes! I love my Baba and am so proud of who he is and how hard he works to help empower people's lives in our community. Mama interviewed Baba in November 2009 about his newest venture called Onesimus. The following is the interview:
ONE ON ONE WITH DAVID TARUS
What is Onesimus and when did it start?
Onesimus is a limited company, which officially started in October 2008. There are four directors—two Kenyans and two Americans. Currently, Onesimus consists of one business, which is the milk cooling plant.
Where did the idea to start Onesimus come from and why did you start it?
It was Brian Albright’s (ELI missionary) idea to begin a limited company and my idea to start with a milk cooling plant. After training local farmers for several years about dairy farming, I did not feel it was fair to continue giving them knowledge while knowing there was no market for their milk. The market for milk in this area died 15 years ago. After visiting farmers in New York in 2003, I saw the idea of a milk cooling plant and knew that such an enterprise would empower our farmers.
What were your initial goals in starting Onesimus?
Our initial goals were:
1. To create jobs.
2. To rally together small-scale farmers.
3. To create a strategic marketing opportunity for small-scale farmers to obtain an ongoing steady income.
4. To start a fair business for small-scale farmers (in the past, businesses have taken advantage of farmers).
5. To generate income from within the society to support the ongoing programs of Empowering Lives.
I recently read an article from the World Food Programme which stated, “By giving small scale farmers access to fairer prices and a market, rural livelihoods will be boosted, by putting more cash into the hands of small scale farmers” (http://www.wfp.org/countries/kenya). This statement struck me as this is one of the main reasons Onesimus exists in our community today.
Regarding milk collection, our initial goal was to collect 800 liters per day by the end of April. Our goal in order to break even was 2,500 liters per day.
What is the capacity of your business?
We currently have two cooling tanks which can hold 3,500 liters of milk each, thus our full capacity is 7,000 liters.
How much milk was Onesimus collecting daily at the start and how much are you collecting now?
On day one, we collected 177 liters of milk. On November 30, we collected 11,350 liters (please see table at the end of this interview for detailed records of monthly milk collection).
Did you imagine that in seven months you would be collecting close to 12,000 liters of milk on a daily basis?
No. I thought we would collect about 5,000-6,000 liters, which is why we put in machinery for 7,000 liters. I did not know how quickly the motivation of farmers would return after their market was dead for 15 years.
To what do you attribute the early success of Onesimus?
I attribute our early success to several factors:
- The main reason is “RELATIONSHIP.” Our community is built upon maintaining good relationships with people, both near and far. We have spent several years and hundreds of hours devoting our lives to the people; and in so doing, we have made many connections and built trust. They have seen what we have accomplished in the past and know that what we say is what we do. People know that I am a man of action, not just words.
- The expertise of this business is within. We began a business that catches the eye of our people because everyone knows about cows. You will find at least one cow in 80% of the homes in our communities. They have kept them for years.
- We have established a good market for milk, such that we are able to sell every liter of milk by the end of each day.
- Farmers have received the correct message that the aim of Onesimus is to support them, whether they bring 1 liter of milk each day or 100 liters.
- Timely payments. We are able to pay all farmers every month on time (this was an issue with other companies in the past, thus losing trust with the farmers).
- We have brought the attention of processors back to society.
- We have generated a fair competition among farmers—knowing there is a market, everyone is struggling to improve their cows to get more milk.
In the beginning, how did you get information to the farmers to bring their milk to Onesimus? How was the business received by the locals?
I went, myself, on a house-to-house campaign. Allison can attest to this, as I spent many hours traveling to farmers’ homes to ensure the correct message was spread about Onesimus. After the first month of milk collection when farmers were paid on time, word of mouth from the farmers themselves boosted our business. We also posted flyers about the business to advertise and visited different churches in the area. Farmers have received Onesimus with great joy. They see it as a great opportunity to empower their families. In the beginning, they only wanted to see if it was going to be sustainable. They have been cheated many times in the past so they were cautious at the start.
How much milk does the average farmer bring daily to Onesimus? How do they get it there or do you pick it up?
In the beginning, the average was 3 liters; now it is 6.5 liters. Our goal is for them to bring it up to 30 liters of milk per day.
There are several ways the milk arrives to Onesimus:
- An individual walks to Onesimus carrying his/her milk in a container.
- Wheelbarrow
- Bicycle
- Motorbike
- Tractor and trailer
- Vehicle—anywhere from a small station wagon to a big truck.
The farthest distance milk comes from is 40 km.
What actually happens to the milk at Onesimus from when it arrives to when it leaves? Where do you sell it?
Starting from 6:00 AM, farmers line up with their milk in hand. The laboratory technician tests every farmers’ milk for contamination and to make sure water was not added to the milk (a trick some try in order to increase the amount of milk). After the milk is tested, the milk handlers weigh it and the computer technician enters the farmer’s number and records the amount of milk given for that day. The milk is then poured into a dump tank where it is then pumped to one of the cooling tanks. The farmer is given a receipt showing the date, time, amount of milk given for that day, and accumulated monthly amount. By 11:00 AM, the first buyer has arrived from a town called Busia, located on the border of Kenya and Uganda, a three hour drive from Onesimus. There is a great demand for milk in that area as people do not have cows. Depending on their need for that day, we sell 900-1,300 liters of milk, which they transport in 50 liter milk cans carried in a small mini-van. The remaining milk is sold to New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (NKCC), the largest government run dairy in Kenya. They send a truck every afternoon from their Eldoret branch (28 miles away), which can carry up to 10,000 liters of milk. It takes 1-2 hours to pump the milk from the cooling tanks to the truck. 
Depending on the number of farmers who arrive, the amount of milk brought, and the day’s challenges, all the milk collected for the day will be dispatched anywhere from 3:00 PM to 3:00 AM. Recently, the NKCC truck broke down and did not arrive to Onesimus until 2:00 AM.
Continual cleaning is done throughout the day with a thorough final cleaning done for each cooling tank after all the milk has been dispatched. Our staff are usually on their way home between 5:00-7:00 PM, depending on when the last drop of milk has been dispatched.
Does Onesimus offer other services to farmers?
Yes, we offer animal feeds, veterinary services, and artificial insemination to increase the grade, value, and milk production of the cows. All of these services are offered on a credit basis to our farmers.
How many Kenyans did you employ to start with when Onesimus opened and how many do you employ now?
We started with 10 employees: Manager, Coordinator, Accountant, Computer Technologist, Laboratory Technologist, two Milk Handlers, two Security Men, and Cleaner. Since then, we have added five employees: Transportation Manager, Turn Boy for assisting in milk collection, Milk Procurement (responsible for finding more milk to collect), and two Milk Handlers.
Did Onesimus move into existing buildings or did you build them?
We bought two acres of land with nothing on it and built.
How long was the construction process for building and how many workers did you employ?
We began construction on December 22, 2008 and completed on March 28, 2009.
Where is the business located?
Onesimus is located in the “town” of Kipkaren River, which is about 2.5 miles from our home.
What are some of your daily challenges at Onesimus and how do you handle them?
- Power rationing—from July to October, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company began power rationing. Since we do not have a back-up generator yet, we experienced great challenges when the power would frequently go off. We borrowed a small generator from ELI’s training center to power the computer and weighing scale; however, for the coolers we simply tried to collect and dispatch the milk as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we lost some milk in the process.
- Abrupt increment of farmers leading to a large increase of milk in a short amount of time.
- Timely payments—We try extremely hard to pay our farmers on time (the first week of every month). However, there are always delays in our payments from the processors. Since we do not have a large cash flow to cover for this, we end up borrowing money from well wishers with the promise that we will pay them back in one week.
- Lack of aluminum milk cans to collect milk. We have been borrowing milk cans from the processors to whom we sell the milk.
- Standardized milk cans—The government requires farmers to transport their milk in standardized aluminum milk cans. However, depending on the size, one costs between $50-100. Many farmers do not have this capital so they use plastic containers instead. We are working to comply with government regulations by offering the cans on a credit basis to our farmers.
- Transportation—Distant farmers face challenges of vehicle breakdowns, stuck in the mud during rainy season, etc. In these situations, we troubleshoot to quickly find another vehicle which can be used for that day. Working with a perishable commodity is very delicate and challenging.
- Farmers’ personal challenges—When farmers face personal challenges at home which require money, they come to Onesimus in need of advance payment. For most, Onesimus is their only steady monthly income, thus we are their only hope…we are their center of solutions.
Do you do any training or education for the people who bring you milk? What kind of training?
We have not started training yet, but it is a future goal. We would like to partner with ELI’s training center in Kipkaren to offer trainings to our farmers in the area of dairy, specifically feeds, artificial insemination, milk production, and milk hygiene.
How often do you pay the farmers who bring their milk to Onesimus?
We have four types of payment, depending on the farmer’s need: daily, weekly, every two weeks, and monthly. With 1,700 farmers to keep track of, this definitely keeps our accountant busy.
Thus far, what do you feel is your greatest victory in Onesimus?
There are so many victories I see. We are affecting about 2,000 families on a daily basis; with an average of eight people per family, that is 16,000 people! Among those families, we are seeing success that people are able to feed their families, educate their children, pay their medical bills, and give an offering in the church. They are also able to access credit facilities because people trust them to pay their debts knowing that they are taking their milk to Onesimus. Another victory is that farmers have become motivated. Yet another great victory I see is dignity being restored to people as they are able to make informed, wise choices for their families.
How could someone in the U.S. help Onesimus if they wanted?
We are in need of the following:
· New computer
· Assistance with credit to buy farmers milk cans
· Transportation—we recently took out a loan to buy a vehicle and need to pay back the loan.
· Construct a store for feeds and veterinary products (farmers one stop store)
The following is a summary of the progress of Onesimus:
MONTH | # OF FARMERS | DAILY MILK INTAKE (liters) | MILK INCREMENT (liters) | TOTAL MONTHLY INTAKE (liters) |
APRIL 2 | 26 | 177 | N/A | 18,347 |
MAY 1 | 124 | 1,145 | 968 | 44,158 |
JUNE 1 | 215 | 1,724 | 579 | 62,164 |
JULY 1 | 317 | 2,103 | 379 | 81,928 |
AUG 1 | 493 | 3,171 | 1,068 | 113,395 |
SEPT 1 | 699 | 4,422 | 1,251 | 187,793 |
OCT 1 | 1,132 | 8,916 | 4,494 | 308,688 |
NOV 1 | 1,560 | 11,597 | 2,579 | 332,126 |
Depending on the number of farmers who arrive, the amount of milk brought, and the day’s challenges, all the milk collected for the day will be dispatched anywhere from 3:00 PM to 3:00 AM. Recently, the NKCC truck broke down and did not arrive to Onesimus until 2:00 AM.
Continual cleaning is done throughout the day with a thorough final cleaning done for each cooling tank after all the milk has been dispatched. Our staff are usually on their way home between 5:00-7:00 PM, depending on when the last drop of milk has been dispatched.
