Family Economic Empowerment in the Kenyan Slums

Our mission is to empower and protect vulnerable children and their families, and we've been working hard to address the needs of these communities in areas such as nutrition, health, education, and income generation. However, the road to progress is not without its challenges. Drought in Kenya is worsening, leaving millions in dire straits, including the communities we serve. A direct result of water scarcity is higher prices and food insecurity. Through Macheo’s Empowerment Program we can mitigate food insecurity by providing funds for families to start small businesses, in order that they can survive and thrive with food to eat, rent paid and children in school.

Thank you for your ongoing support and trust in this process of lifting families out of extreme poverty.

Kind Regards,

Anne Thompson

From the field.....

Maureen* (not her real name) is a 40-year-old single mother of 4 living in the slum area, together with her children. When Macheo met her, she was stressed because her business had closed down and she was not able to provide the most basic needs for her children, especially her teenage daughter who was pregnant. She also experienced difficulties in paying rent and school fees for her children and many times they would sleep hungry. After meeting the social worker, Maureen first received a cash transfer as a form of relief that enabled her to take care of her children's immediate needs like food. Her daughter was shortly enrolled into a teen mother’s program where she received a lot of guidance and support. She was also encouraged to go back to school. 

Maureen started to feel confident again and began to share ideas about starting a business. She already had good skills to start a business and through economic empowerment, she received seed capital. Today her business is thriving and her customers love her. She can provide for all her children’s needs without much worry, including her teenage daughter and her grandchild. Her daughter has also gone back to school and hopes to someday join college. “Thank you Macheo, you restored hope in the lives of my children by empowering me,” Maureen said. It is because of your support that her 4 children and grandchild expect a better future.