By Andanje Wakhungu
22 years ago, Khetias supermarket offered a full scholarship to a needy and bright student. The supermarket had been offering scholarships to such students.
At the time, they didn’t know that their act would be the start of a long and successful journey in the sales and marketing fraternity as the outlet would later become a brand name in the wholesale industry.
The scholarship beneficiary excelled in his studies and now resides in Germany. He has teamed up with the outlet and offered scholarships to many students as part of giving back to the community.
The philanthropist, who sought anonymity, has vowed to continue supporting education not only in the Western region but across the country as well.
“I was raised from a very humble background and after the owner of Khetias heard about my plight, he gladly offered to fully sponsor my education. I partnered with him to continue supporting the less fortunate students “he stressed.
Bernard Andera, the operations manager of Khetias chain of supermarkets said their Corporate Social Responsibility will be extended to other regions like Nairobi, Mt Kenya and Coast.
‘We also support health and environment programmes. Our commitment to give back to the society has seen our market share grow tremendously. Most of our buyers are parents who associate with us because of our support to bright but needy students,’ he revealed.
The manager agrees that the last two years have been tough for businesses as the Covid -19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on most businesses.
“Covid – 19 was a shocker to many companies and businesses and the end result has been massive layoffs and companies closing. Our good working relation with customers has ensured that our clique of clientele flow is not shaken,’ he added.
Since its inception in 1995, the supermarket has supported over 200 students in a move to get rid of poverty. It has over 2,000 staff working directly in its outlets and hundreds working indirectly.
