How an Award-Winning Flour Producer Uses Business to Serve God
Tiras (right) received an award for producing Kenya’s most affordable, top-quality maize flour.
When Tiras joined the Partners Worldwide network over a decade ago, no one imagined that he would grow his small enterprise into several businesses that employ nearly one hundred workers. No one, not even Tiras.
A native of Nairobi, Kenya, Tiras searched for ways to provide for his family in a way that utilized his God-given talents. Tiras knew he was born to be an entrepreneur, but without access to capital, he would never be able to live out his calling. His dreams would remain just that: dreams.
From humble beginnings…
Things changed for Tiras when a friend introduced him to one of PW’s oldest partners in Kenya, Christian Entrepreneurs Savings and Credit Society (CHESS), a microfinance institution.
Now part of a global network of partners, Tiras had everything he needed to begin his journey as an entrepreneur. CHESS invested in Tiras’ future through a small loan, which he used to open his own hotel. A few years later, Tiras launched a construction and excavation company. And in 2021, Tiras added another business to his growing portfolio: a flour mill capable of producing 30 metric tons of flour per day.
Tiras’ business dreams were made possible through partnership. In the years since their first meeting, he secured eleven loans from CHESS, for a total of $100,000. These investments-used for the construction of his hotel, the acquiring of machinery, and more-enabled Tiras to grow from humble beginnings into the magnate he is today.
All his hard work is paying off. In 2023, Tiras’ milling company received an award for producing Kenya’s most affordable, top-quality maize flour. But he won’t stop there. Soon, he plans to scale production of his flour threefold to 90 metric tons per day.
In Service of the Kingdom
“My businesses have had a remarkable impact on my family,” said Tiras. “At the most basic level, I am able to meet the basic necessities of my family. However, beyond this, I have through them been accorded an opportunity to serve God for I consider my businesses as Kingdom service.”
Tiras’ businesses are a light of hope for the workers he employs and the families they provide for. His hotel employs 21 workers; his excavation business, 13; and his milling company, 45. Many of these employees have been with Tiras from the very start.
The success and impact of Tiras as a redemptive entrepreneur in the marketplace is a testament to the effectiveness of PW’s model of working with locally led institutions like CHESS to support entrepreneurs like Tiras to create and nurture businesses that not only solve consumer problems in the marketplace but also transform communities.
May 7, 2024