By Habiba | GHNI National Field Leader
GHNI Kenya has done a lot to help villagers in our area through Transformational Community Development (TCD). We are excited to help empower women by changing the destiny of poor families who are in terms of extending their hearts in generosity to those who need it most during these times.
Upon being laid off from her job as a housemaid, Karemi did not know how her family would survive. However, after joining a Women’s Empowerment programme supported by GHNI, Karemi realized that she had skills she never knew she had. This led to the opening of a new chapter in her life!
Living in her two-bedroom hut with her two children in a village on the outskirts of Isiolo, life was good for Karemi. Living conditions are extremely poor in her area, but she had a good job. She oversaw a rich house in Isiolo town where she had worked for six years. However, this all changed when the man of the house died and a new management team took over. She was then abruptly told she would no longer have a job.
She was forced to move into a single room with her two children, and had to work odd jobs to survive. Life was very difficult for her.
“If I did not have friends, I would have lost my way,” she said.
She then heard about GHNI’s Empowerment Program at the marketplace from other young women who had just graduated. Karemi joined the center, where she was able to gain some vocational skills. She studied dressmaking and fashion.
Through these classes she was able to find her passion and focus her training on fashion and design. Through her newly acquired skills, Karemi was able to start a small tailoring business. She was supported further through the GHNI and the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) group where she received a small loan.
Starting out making uniforms for her children and some of her neighbours’ children, she quickly gained the confidence and skills to branch out further. She began to sell the clothes around her neighborhood and now makes a steady income to support her and her family.
Karemi is delighted that she can now afford to pay school fees for her children and buy enough food and basic commodities. From her training, she has learned how to be independent. She knows that by working hard she can make life much better for her and her children, all while doing something she loves!
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By Habiba | GHNI National Field Leader
By Habiba | GHNI National Field Leader
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