Launch 150 Startup Youth Businesses in Kibra Slum

"The impact of Covid-19 hit home when I was given my letter of redudancy in May 2020. As a mother of five children, this news was devastating. My job brought to me fiancial security, though I did not make much, I was able to pay rent,  provide  food for my children and eventually support them through school. I am widow, so I depend only on one source of income.

I did not know what to tell my children that evening, for one week I left home very early in the morning and came back in the eveninig just like everything was normal.  At night, I would ask myself so many questions. What would happen to my 5 children? what would the landlord tell me this month? where will my food come from?. Scchool closing made it more difficult, often I would depend on school to at least provide lunch for the children, but now all the schools are clossed. 

When I shared my predicament with a friend, she asked me how much I had saved. I told her that I only had Ksh 2,000 / $ 20. She challenged me to start a small business with the money, but I did not have any business skills, neither did I believe that $ 20 could help me start a business. She refered me to Garden of Hope Foundation where her children are being sposnored through school, luckily they were runnig the economic empowerment program targetting people who had been affected by Covid-19. 

Through the training, I was able to start my business of selling soap, fruits and vegatables. I started my businees in June and It has been running for 3 months. The business is able to pay my rent, put food on the table and provide meals. I would like to keep the business even after I get a fulltime  job" 

 

Thank you for your generous gift. 

Regards

Mama Rose

Joyce’s family is one of the many families struggling to meet their daily needs now. “Adhiambo, 21, is a young entrepreneur from Kibera slum. 

Many high school graduates across the country receive their final  results with the hope of joining tertiary institutions to pursue their dream careers. Most parents are left in a dilemma owing to the competing family needs and the limited sources of income. Therefore, some prioritize secondary education over tertiary education for their children. 

Joyce's was not lucky to transition to college or university after she graduated from high school, but the skills she got from the leadership developement and entrepreneurship program has transformed her life and her family. 

“I joined the three-month Leadership Development and Entrepreneurship program run by Garden of Hope Foundation where I acquired skills in Entrepreneurship, Basic Computer, and Leadership. During my training period, participants were grouped and given Ksh500 to start and run a business for two weeks. This exposes us to a first-hand experience on entrepreneurship. The 500/ $ 5  helps participants to test their business ideas and offers experiential learning. In our group, a member knew how to make the liquid soap so we decided to run with the idea. We were required to return the Sh500 with a profit after the two weeks. In the process, I learnt to make soap on my own and decided to start a small business out of it,”

Joyce is currently making soap to support needy families in Kibera slum during covid-19. In addition, she is also sensitizing the community on Covid-19.

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