Sweet 'n' Dried

Deep within the village of Kamitiria in Tharaka-Nithi County Eastern Kenya, you’ll find 40 women happily drying their fruits and vegetables, including mangoes and pineapples. Most of them are all under the age of 35. Many have houses to maintain and children to attend. They are thankful to have a good job that provides them with a sense of community and financial support.

For six years, Sweet ‘n’ Dried has been a main source of employment for them. Started by a woman named Mercy Mwende who likes to teach them that she doesn’t “keep the keys to the house” — meaning she wants them to feel like they own the business too.

Mercy teaches them more than fruit drying skills, she teaches them responsibility and how to take care of themselves — something she believes is important in order to be successful. And Mercy would know, she herself is a mother and recently earned her college degree in Development Studies. For her leading by example is the best way to teach.

Should you come to visit the women at Sweet 'n' Dried, they would be very excited to show you their solar dehydrators and let you sample all the produce they dry from over 3,000 farmers in a five county radius, including their Indigenous flours!