Friends of Ngong Road

We empower Nairobi children living in poverty to transform their lives through education and support, leading to employment.

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Karibu Loo Corner

Business update 

Karibu Loo has been affected by the pandemic. With the emergence of COVID-19 vaccines and with much of the world gradually lifting lockdowns and restrictions, the Kenyan economy had started to gain traction. We were hopeful that 2021 business performance would improve, but in March 2021 a second COVID wave came and restrictions were re-imposed. As a result, business declined in April and May as many event planners and companies canceled events.

One major trend since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and leading into 2021 is an increase in long-term rentals.  These are mostly construction companies that have continued operating and renting loos throughout the downturn. This has enabled Karibu Loo to survive during the pandemic.    

Digital Marketing Campaign 

While business was challenging in 2020, it was critical to preparing for the future. To set ourselves up for success, we launched a digital marketing campaign to raise awareness and generate new sales. We believe once we have fully implemented this online marketing campaign, it will yield results in both the short term and the future, post-COVID-19.

The campaign is being managed in Kenya with help of U.S. digital marketing volunteers. With the easing of COVID restrictions and our digital marketing campaign starting, the business has begun to pick up in June. July looks promising. 

The campaign continues using humor. Our Chief Creative Volunteer, Steve Kotvis, has developed Google Search ads like: 

“Today’s my wedding day, when I say “I do”,  don’t forget Karibu Loo”

“Count on your crew, Gotta go #1, Gotta go #2. Remove the phew, call Karibu Loo”.

We monitor response rates and poor-performing ads are eliminated and replaced with new ones. 

The number of people calling and emailing to enquire about our services and pricing rates have been increasing, and sales are improving. 

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Karibu Loo Corner – Spring 2021

With the easing of COVID restrictions, the business has continued to improve. Now that larger gatherings are permitted the event-based business serving weddings, funerals, church services, and house parties has resumed. Clients such as the YMCA have begun hosting events and training courses. We even had one marathon event.  

Construction sites are also becoming more active as the economy revives. Our client list continues to expand to include various types of construction projects, such as new embassy buildings, highways, and office buildings.  

All of our core staff remain with the business. Through the leadership of Steve Muendo, his loyal crew is keeping up as the business grows.

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Karibu Loo Business Update

Karibu Loo Business Continues to Stabilize and Grow
October was the fourth profitable month in a row for Karibu Loo. The business seems to have found its footing and is now a growing young business in a pioneering area.

Winner of the “Best Sanitation Provider in Kenya” Award
In September the team applied for and won the Kenyan hospitality industry’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) Award for the “Best Sanitation Provider in Kenya”. The team presented the award at a dinner event, which all the managers proudly attended. Since winning the prize, the marketing staff has blasted the news out as an email to all current and prospective clients and featured it on the website and on Facebook. It is a source of pride for the whole organization.

Social Media Marketing Fueling Success
While our Business Development Manager remains focused on institutional sales (especially schools and construction companies), a growing part of the business comes from our emphasis on social media marketing. Maureen Mulievi, our Executive Director, hired a Google expert who has significantly increased our online presence and effectiveness. Our phone started ringing so much that we have had to go to a new phone system to keep up with the calls from individual customers and businesses. That combined with our MICE Award has helped both institutional and event-driven sales.

Our Staff has become a Marketing Tool!
One of the key differentiators for Karibu Loo is that we hire only our program graduates for fieldwork. Our Senior Associates accompany every delivery and set up the units at the events or construction sites. To amplify our presence, we bought Karibu Loo branded overalls for the four young men who drive our trucks and deliver our units. Our customers gave us immediate positive feedback on having our workers in their new bright-red branded overalls. Associates have always worn red t-shirts with the Karibu Loo logo, but when the weather is bad the kids put on rain gear, which immediately covers up the logo. We are buying raincoats for the Associates to wear and gain exposure for the brand at the same time.

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Karibu Loo Update – July 2019

June was a good month for Karibu Loo.  Although we did not yet recapture the BATUK business we have been able to build up our long-term business with a wide variety of companies. We now have 9 long-term clients, most 

construction companies, including a “test” sitting with one of the large Chinese construction companies working in Nairobi.  When that is successful it will lead to expanded business at their other sites. 

In addition, we had several major short-term events.  The largest was a marathon that contracted for 80 units for two days.  Because it was held a considerable distance from Nairobi the organizers paid transport and other fees in addition to the rental charge.  The Karen Country Club, located near our offices, also had a major event that rented 22 units for four days. Schools have become a major source of business and we hope this will increase as we enter graduation season (November/December).  A major shout-out to our Operations staff (mostly former NRCF students) who work all night, evenings, and weekends to keep the business running.

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KL continuing to make progress in 2018

Karibu Loo (KL) has many exciting developments to report. Thus far in 2018, KL has gone from being a business struggling to secure long-term contracts to a business struggling with positive growing pains.

  • Moving to profitability. In early 2018, KL achieved consistent profitability: $2,000 in January, $1,000 in February, and a remarkable $7,000 in March. April is on track to generate profits as well.
  • Sound leadership from Maureen and Kenneth. Under Maureen Mulievi’s effective leadership, the business thrived, reinforced by dynamic sales expert Kenneth Odongo’s energetic contributions. See all staff at Karibu Loo: https://www.karibuloo.co.ke/our-staff/
  • Long-term business absorbing an impressive 46% to 94% of units. Maureen, Kenneth and the staff have been successful in securing more long-term contracts. The British Army in northern Kenya demands exceptional service and effort, expanding contracts from 16 to 66 units in January. The construction business, with an April total of 17 units on monthly contracts, now includes Konza Construction, Nanchang Construction, TENSES, and Karen Construction. KL has retained the ongoing weekly Sunday-only rentals to three churches for seven units. Long-term rentals therefore absorb 17% (27% with the churches) of our units plus the highly variable British Army business, which puts absorption between 94% in January to 46% in April.
  • More effective targeting. KL has learned that long-term rentals are primarily done by foreign corporations or government entities, and Kenneth is becoming effective at targeting important, long-term sales.
  • Assets spread thin with inefficiencies costing over $15,000. Running the business has been a challenge as our assets are spread very thin. Current assets include 88 unit (including one VIP unit), a large truck, one exhauster and a pickup truck that can pull the VIP unit or the newly-built trailer to transport unit. KL had to pay for third-party trucks to transport the units to the British Army and is currently renting a large truck full-time (combined cost in Q1 was $14,000) to service the British Army business to which KL has dedicated the exhauster. All the units in Nairobi are serviced manually, which is unhealthy and unpleasant for our staff. The low number of available cabins has forced KL to rent units from competitors on occasion (Q1 cost = $615).
  • Most urgent need – a reliable large truck. The prominent challenge is the aging truck, reliable for years but now consistently failing, affecting KL company’s operations. The portable sanitation business is not viable without a reliable truck and exhauster. We’re planning to buy a truck, exhauster, and 60 loos. Seeking individual donations to achieve this purchase goal.

Today, KL employs five Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF) graduates full-time and has employed 57 high-school graduates part-time as Associates since inception. KL’s Associate Program allows recent NRCF high-school graduates to gain that very valuable first job experience and earn income. The organization employs Sales and Operations Associates for event cabin upkeep, materials stocking, and representing the organization.

The Associates program teaches NRCF graduates how to be good employees – show up on time, do a good job, and dress properly – skills that students living in the slums never see demonstrated by adults in their lives yet are critical to the charity’s mission of transforming lives through employment . Associates make 500 Kenyan shillings a day plus transport and a meal. (For context, 500 Kenyan shillings covers about a quarter of a month’s rent in the slums).

The slum economy has received an injection of $5,000 in earned wages through the making of almost 1,000 day-payments.