Martha’s Daily Grind
Making Peanut Butter During a Time of Insecurity
Latin America + Caribbean
April 08, 2026
An accountant by trade, Joseph lived with his wife and their three children in Gatundu, a small town 30 miles north of Nairobi. Twenty years ago, as Joseph ventured into dairy farming, he turned to CHESS Sacco for support.
CHESS, Partners Worldwide's first and oldest partner, equipped Joseph with training and a loan for $117, which he used to construct a barn. CHESS partnered with Joseph a few years later when he began selling construction materials—this time, it was a loan for $4,688.
As Joseph dutifully paid off his loan, an idea began to grow. The kind of idea that changes lives.
Creating Jobs and Caring for God’s Creation
His family was comfortable, and his children were taken care of. But he wondered if he could do something more—if he could provide opportunity for others in his community. So many families were at the mercy of the rains; if their crops starved, so did they.
So what was Joseph’s vision?
He envisioned a solution that would simultaneously create jobs and care for God’s creation. And in 2017, he launched Stauch Logistix, a company specializing in the recycling of plastics.
Then, in 2025, CHESS equipped Joseph with his greatest loan yet—$19,531—which he used to purchase and install a machine that recycles plastic waste into pellets. These pellets are used by manufacturing companies to create items such as bottles, water pipes, and tanks.
Partners Worldwide knows that a business loan isn’t just capital—it’s room to hire a neighbor. And that’s exactly what Joseph did. To date, he’s employed 40 people from his community, 75% of whom are women.
Transforming Waste, Transforming Lives
Today, Joseph’s company recycles 8 tons of plastic a week. And while he’s transforming waste into a valuable resource, he’s transforming lives, too.
Looking ahead, Joseph envisions taking his business further along the value chain—manufacturing finished products like water tanks and pipes from recycled materials. Higher value would mean increased pay for his workers, and the chance to create opportunities for even more people from his community!
