Background / Context

In Kenya, women form the backbone of informal trade, yet they often remain excluded from formal markets and financial opportunities. Many women in rural and peri-urban communities lack access to training, credit, and tools, limiting them to low-income, survival-based activities. This lack of opportunity entrenches gender inequality, with women unable to make meaningful contributions to household decision-making. Recognising women as critical drivers of community wellbeing, One Africa Foundation sought to strengthen women-led microenterprises.

Objectives

To empower women with skills, resources, and access to markets so they can run sustainable small businesses, increase household incomes, and improve community resilience.

Approach

One Africa Foundation, through Mama Africa Cares, mobilised 500 women from community groups into training programs on tailoring, handicrafts, and small-scale food processing. Participants were equipped with start-up kits, including sewing machines, raw materials, and packaging supplies. Microcredit support was provided through savings groups, and women were organised into cooperatives for collective production and bulk purchasing. Partnerships with local schools and shops created steady demand for uniforms, crafts, and food items, ensuring a market base.

Impact / Outcomes

Within one year, over 70% of participants had started or expanded businesses, reporting a 50% increase in household income. Many were able to pay school fees, improve diets, and access healthcare. The cooperatives fostered solidarity, allowing women to negotiate better prices and pool savings for reinvestment. Women also reported greater confidence, taking on leadership roles in their communities.

Beneficiary Voice

“I used to depend on casual jobs, never knowing how I would feed my children. Today, my tailoring business supports my family, and I even employ two other women,” shared Esther, a participant from Kisumu.