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Think Aiducation. Think entrepreneurial. Think pig.

Posted on 01/31/2016 at 12:20PM

Lynda K. is one of our first scholar who received a scholarship from Aiducation. Scoring 51 out of 20,000 students who took the final examination in Kenya’s coast region in 2011, she got a governmental scholarship to study law in Nairobi. Lynda, however, is a young lady with strong entrepreneurial spirit who aims for more. In an interview she shares how her business idea turned pink and what role Aiducation played in the success of her startup.

Lynda, what is the idea behind „Think Pig” and when was is founded?
The idea is to rear and sell fully grown pigs in the Coastal town of Mombasa. It was founed in January 2016 and I currently have 24 pigs on my farm that is run with the help of one employee.

How did you come up with your small business idea?
I wanted to venture into agribusiness, but I wasn’t sure which path to take. I was inspired by a pig farmer in a nearby town. It was common to rear cows and goats there, but rearing pigs is something rare in my part of the country. I spotted a niche and rose to the task.


Lynda checking if her pigs are all well.

Was this a project you have always dreamt of launching?
Not at all. I had all manner of business ideas, but not pig farming! I thought about the fashion industry and was almost sure that is what I wanted to do. But here I am today!

What role did Aiducation play in the success of your business?
Through the mentorship academies, I am fully equipped to run a start-up. In addition, I won the first round of the wonderland award, which was again being run by Aiducation. The award was a sum of USD 300, which I used to buy my first four pigs. Most importantly, I received the rest of the capital needed for my business from the Start Up Fund.

Were there any challenges you were facing when you started your project?
Yes. I did not eventually win the grand prize of the Wonderland Award and the running capital for my business was a bit too high. I was not sure whether I would be able to sustain it. I, however, got capital from the Start Up fund and the business is up and running.

Are you now a full-time business woman at Think Pig? What does a normal working day for you look like?
I play a managerial and supervisory role in my business. When I am at the farm, that is once per month, I am mostly checking the health of the pigs, consulting with the Vet and generally checking the conditions of the pigs and the environment they are in. I am also constantly checking out on market opportunities.

What is the most memorable feedback you have ever received on your project?
“There is so much potential in this project. The sky is the limit.” This was a remark by one of my mentors.


A pink business with pigs.

And what was the most memorable experience you ever had at your start up?
Hosting Aiducation and Swiss Re mentors at the farm was definitely my best memory of my start up!

What are the future plans for Think Pig?
I want to have at least 100 pigs at any given time. My vision is to get to processing pig meat.

Tags: Lynda, Startup, Start Up Fond, Swiss Re


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