Azuri - a health food company

A greater Africa face of hedges small farmers is to get their products from the farm to the market. Azuri Health Limited, a company Kenyan manufactures and distributes healthy food, help rural farmers in the Kenya access to markets for their fruit and cereals. The firm has established a partnership with more than 600 farmers to provide a range of products to markets Kenya and Sudan and is now looking to start exporting to the United States. How we do in Africa Regina Ekiru speaks of Tei Mukunya, Director General of the health of the Azuri.

TEI Mukunya displays products health Azuri beach.

What was the driving force behind the creation of the health of the Azuri?

I have used to work under a program to help farmers value added. During this time, I fell to the experience of farmers of small challenges while trying to access the markets for their products.

For example, a group of women from Murang' has was struggling to put its product of flour porridge in the market despite donor huge investments in research, product development and capacity-building. After having developed an interest in helping farmers have easy access to the market for their products, I made an attempt for the Group products in retail stores. My first attempt was unsuccessful due to disruptions in the production. In 2005, I made a second attempt and managed to get space for products.

Products which currently have you in your portfolio?

At the time that we started the only product that us had was flour porridge. We, however, realizes that a product don't cut it for us. So we started working with a group of women from Busia and deployed our brand of potato flour. We have since announced new products and repackaged our old brands. Azuri health includes today flour Azuri Nutriporridge, which is our flagship product, potato Azuri, Kahurura Azuri powder flour (made from a plant of the pumpkin family), sweet potato cookies, and a range of dried fruits such as mangoes and pineapples. These products not only to the Kenya, but Sudan also sell. We have an annual turnover of Ksh.12 million (US$ 143,000).

Healthy living is the new craze. Lifestyle diseases are spreading rapidly, fuelling the demand for healthy lifestyle options. It is a market which, if well explored can produce benefits. Enter the market, it is not a joke due to competition. We are not unique. Beat the rest that we must move quickly to introduce new unique products.

Describe the relationship of Azuri health with farmers ' groups?

We work with several groups of farmers across the country, which the majority is made up of women. We have 600 farmers in our network. We have trained farmers feeding, processing and packaging. They, therefore, conduct the processing of products while we handle the marketing, distribution and sale. To ensure consistency of production and to provide us with recently established a Ksh.2 million ($24 million) plant in Nairobi. In the past, groups of farmers some challenges which affected the production and processing. Therefore, we have created our own processing plant to avoid such interruptions of supply. In addition we also offer advisory services and support the farmers. Most of these groups of women would have collapsed, but they are now a success because they have access to the market. We managed to put their products on the shelves of retail stores.

Tell us more about the challenges you encountered during the start-up of the company

Insufficient funding has been a major obstacle. To ensure the supply of large volumes, we have lots of funds. While having our products for sale in stores in the country, it is an important step, keep this calls for hard work and the appropriate organization. In the beginning, we were expelled from a string of local stores because our supply is erratic. We can afford to make such errors now. We are available in almost all supermarkets and have therefore keep that we supply. We also invest heavily in the commercialization of our products due to the competition in the sector of growth.

The lessons that you learned in an entrepreneurial spirit?

Resilience. When I quit my job to go to business, I had to tighten my budget until I hit rock bottom. He taught me to be very difficult. No matter what face challenge, I look at the positive aspects, knowing that the situation will improve.

What is the future for the health of the Azuri?

We want to implement an automated installation more important to increase our volume and effectively support the supply. We would also like to extend our reach in the regional market. We have plans to begin exporting to the United States soon.

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"Load carrier for work".

In the coming months, we will be highlighting award-winning projects and ideas for Design of Core77 year this! We have been delighted by the breadth and depth of the presentations of this year and look forward to take a moment to honor the recipients of this year. For more details on the project, jury commenting and more information about the scholarship program, go to Core77DesignAwards.com

One of the three accounting actions for "charge carrier for the work".

Designer: Vikram Dinubhai Panchal - nest
Location: Ahmedabad
Category: Products and equipment
: Professional winner

Load for work support
The project "Load carrier for work" is an innovation to improve the working condition of the workers and workers in many places in the world, construction sites, factories, ports, railway stations, etc. The objective is to prevent occupational risks and showing the design of products and ergonomic consideration for the protection of human life.

The main purpose of innovation is to facilitate the three methods of lifting and movement of loads by workers, as over the head, back and push or pull action. The main new device structures are made of cane, components in plastic and metal materials. It is possible to make all of the plastic or metal structure.

The new design has two major parts, one that holds the load and the other based on the shoulder. DEVICE has two buttons, which facilitates the required function change manually to another one in the duration of a minute. This allows the three modular functions to carry lighter loads on the head, medium loads at the rear and more heavy to push or pull as truck loads. Ergonomic, the load is distributed on the shoulder and in support of the wood by softer material. The total weight of the device is KGS. 2 and cost approx. RS. 300 /-in mass production.

Core77 Design Awards: How did you learn that you had been recognized by the jury?

I learned that I was recognized by the Board of my students Varun Prabhakar, who wrote me an email:

Jin
Mr President, seen on Core77...
http://www.core77designawards.com/recipients/load-carrier-for-labour/
u have surprised everyone, as always...
sincere congratulations!
Regards,
Varun Prabhakar

What is the latest news or development with your project?

At the present time, I'll be interested to find sponsorship, marketing or a manufacturer take this design on the end user. I would like to make this more versatile with metal and plastic design principle. I am open to any organization interested in sponsoring, marketing or manufacturing.

Continue reading for details on the comments of project and a jury.

Energetic Anatomy-an illustrated Guide to understanding and with the human energy system

I found "Energetic Anatomy: an illustrated Guide to understanding and using the human energy system" by Mark Rich is an interesting and enlightening read. The book looks at the energy that we all have and ways to understand and use energy productively. Rich drag of books and teachings of Carlos Castaneda and Tom Brown, Jr., both of whom I am familiar with, and his own martial arts, Qigong, and healing methods. I would have liked to have read a little more about the Richs martial arts and Qigong practice, because I have a background in both, too, but it is a small point.

The book is short, 149 pages, and easy to read. Rich writes in personal style and a large part of the book is based on his own views and experiences, with little reference to other sources. I would once again, have liked to have read a bit more about his teachings and where he learned and so on. There were also some experience with Richs which is a bit difficult to understand, and I think that some readers may dismiss certain information. I would hate for someone to dismiss an entire book on parts that do not understand, because I believe that there is a lot we don't understand about the energy that we all have, and this book provides a perspective that will be part of all too many who are studying and working with the body's energy systems.

The author explains how he ended up in energy work and a basic description of the human energy system as he teaches it. This includes an energetic core, energetic cones, energy meridians and what he describes as relating to complex and cord bundle. Personally, I have not "seen" these cones and tubes as the author suggests, but I think it gives a "Visual" as we think about our energy and it is moving.

I liked the chapter on health, because as someone who has studied martial arts and Qigong, I think that energy is an important part of the health and fitness. Rich provides some exercises throughout the text to the reader better understand the human energy system. I have not tried all the exercises, but see where they can be worked in a program of health, breathing and energy work. I do not know whether my own experiences, opinions and studies agree with all rika's either, but that's okay, they don't need. I appreciate his views and experiences and learned from them, there is a lot we don't understand about our energy and how it works, and this book by Mark Rich provides guidance on better understanding of our energy. I recommend it to those working in energy areas such as human and to those who want a different perspective on the human energy system.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is an author, speaker and moderator who will teach how to live, shop and get things done via the Warrior's Edge. He is an expert on conflict and mediates and teach conflict resolution and negotiation. In addition, he taught physical conflict skills in his Hapkido and self-defence courses, lectures and seminars. Alain is the author of Hard-Won wisdom from The School Of Hard knocks, DVDs Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido cane, locks on shared locking series, and many articles and reviews. You can read more articles and reviews, and view clips of his DVDs and much more http://www.yourwarriorsedge.com/on