Family Economic Empowerment in the Kenyan Slums

Jane Wanjiku 43, is married to Patrick Kamande 48, and together they have three children Simon 18, Abigail 14, and Immaculate 1. A few years ago, Patrick, Abigail’s husband, suffered a stroke and Jane had to take up the mantle as the breadwinner for the family as well as the caregiver to her husband. When this happened, Jane found herself between a rock and a hard place. She could not find the means to provide for her families needs which included urgent medical care for her ailing husband, School fees for her teenage daughter Abigail who was in high school and run the risk of bad peer pressure and early teenage pregnancy, food, and other essential needs in the household.

Eventually, Jane was starting to get scared that her one-year-old child would soon get malnourished because she could not afford to feed herself and her child properly. Additionally her older son, Simon is a drug addict who would frequently get violent and harass her.

When Macheo Identified Jane, she was in a great deal of distress. She had all these problems which she could not find solutions to. After assessing her situation, Macheo realized that she had already managed to hire some 4 acres of land next to the river to start a farming business but did not have enough resources to start. We then helped her to purchase 2 bags of fertilizer as well as tomatoes seedlings, sukuma wiki seedlings (Kale), and spinach seedlings at a cost of Ksh. 5220. We also empowered her on ways to manage her income and savings.

Today, Jane has started making money through her farm. On average, she now makes between 500 and 600 ksh per day. This has enabled her to provide for her family's needs without strain. Her daughter’s fees are paid, her family eats a good and healthy diet, and this month, she will be enrolling in the National health insurance fund (NHIF) which will help cover her husband's medical needs as well as that of her children. She also has plans to buy a water pump later in the year. Her life today and that of her family has positively transformed. Thanks for your overwhelming support.