SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
A key part of Mukutan's mission is to improve community well-being and livelihoods and be a catalyst for economic empowerment in the landscape. By harnessing the power of sustainable natural resource use, we strive to create opportunities that uplift and support local communities, generating employment, income, and fostering a sense of ownership and pride. By demonstrating that economic prosperity and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand, we pave the way for a future where communities thrive in harmony with the natural world.
Mukutan has developed a range of innovative social enterprises in partnership with local communities
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Mukutan's Africa Botanica initiative practises sustainable wild harvesting of indigenous plants, creating products for the cosmetics, teas, and food industries. Rooted in rich ethno-botanical knowledge, this project enhances local livelihoods by conserving biodiversity. Our on-site distillation facility extracts essential oils from plants like leleshwa and sinoni, addressing environmental challenges posed by the leleshwa shrub. Employing 50 community members, mainly women, this project fosters innovation, research, and the development of organic products, contributing to the growing global organic cosmetics market.
AFRICA
BOTANICA
SOUL
COAL
Mukutan pioneers a sustainable approach to address the invasive shrub Leleshwa (Tarchonanthus camphoratus). This indigenous species, known for its dense growth and high fire risk, regenerates very rapidly once coppiced and therefore a perfect renewable source of wood fuel for biomass and eco-charcoal production. Harvested along fire-management blocks, the wood is processed using efficient Adam Retort Kilns which combust bi-products and cause minimal pollution. Our eco-charcoal project engages over 50 women and youth, creating high-quality, carbon neutral charcoal and providing much needed employment.
WILD
AVOCADO
Mukutan Wild Avocado empowers local farmers with an alternative to labour-intensive crops. Through our hi-tech avocado nursery, we've provided 20,000 top-quality Hass avocado seedlings to 180 contracted farmers in a transformative out-growers scheme.
Through the employment of a skilled agronomist and marketing team Mukutan has linked these farmers directly to exporters cutting out the traders and giving farmers a better price. In the first season of 2024 over 31 tons of avocado were harvested and exported, employing 65 youth and generating over 2 million kes in income for the farmers.