The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused the halt of many things in our lives. East African E-commerce platform for women’s health, personal care and beauty products, Kasha, is taking great steps to combat the spread of Coronavirus in Kenya and Rwanda where it operates. The platform is available online and offline to ensure the company serves women of all socio-economic backgrounds.
For Kasha, as a social enterprise, purpose driven collaboration is key in this period to ensure that essential products and information get to the most at risk communities in the safest way possible.
Here are the Steps Kasha has taken to support the fight against COVID-19:
- Kasha has launched a nurse-supported community forum, kashacommunity.com, to provide information on contraceptives. During this time of social distancing and with the difficulty of accessing clinics, we want to ensure women have access to information so that they can continue to make informed decisions with regards to their sexual and reproductive health.
- Kasha has partnered with Unilever to give free Lifebuoy soap with every order purchased through its website and USSD platforms while stocks last.
- They continue to deliver orders across the country through our website and through our USSD platform *308#, so that customers can stay safe at home and still get the essential products they need.
- They are ensuring that the fulfillment and delivery teams are wearing masks, gloves and are trained to protect themselves and our customers. Work stations and warehouse are also disinfected several times a day
- In order to practice social distancing and take safety measures, Kasha accepts digital payments only. Payments can be made on delivery via mobile money with M-pesa or through card payments on the website.
- Kasha is supporting the welfare of its employees by asking employees to work from home and providing necessary support and information to adapt to the new ways of working
Jade Oyateru, Senior Marketing Manager, says, “We are taking this pause as an opportunity to support families who may not have the financial ability to get the essential products that they need to keep safe and healthy. Together with our community of customers, we will provide basic hygiene kits that families need at this time. Our customers can choose to donate an essential kit to a family they know is in need and Kasha will make the delivery on their behalf or customers can choose to donate to a low income family that Kasha has identified through our Kasha Agent network.”
The essential kits include soaps, hand sanitizers, sanitary pads, face masks and other essential items. Kasha will also extend this distribution outside Nairobi to Siaya County (Bondo) where it currently has a network of 98 agents that deliver Kasha orders to the last mile.
“At Kasha, we strongly believe we have a role to play in helping people around the country protect themselves from COVID. We are focused on ensuring that people in urban and rural areas get access to quality health and personal care products.” - Joanna Bichsel, Founder and CEO at Kasha.
