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| About us |
Walking into Patrick Mwangi's Banana Leaf Hotel is not unlike walking into a trendy bar in London. Patrick is clearly proud that it was designed by a specialist interior decorator. His vision is to run a five-star hotel to rival the big tourist lodges in the local region, around Mount Kenya in the Central Highlands. Patrick started out by setting up a catering college, which now trains more than 300 students in all aspects of the hospitality industry. The small but brightly decorated hotel is next door, and allows students to practise their skills in real life. Demand at the hotel was booming, but business was tough because Patrick needed to put a management structure in place to cope with the increasing size of his business. It took a conversation with a business mentor for Patrick to recognise the potential that this would have for growing the business, by relieving the pressure on himself to do everything personally. Patrick is now enjoying a period of sustained growth. The knock-on effects for the local community are significant; they have become his suppliers and his employees, while his customers come from both near and far. He and others like him are the future of sustainable development in Kenya. What would you have done to help? 
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