Category: Success Story

How Rangelands SACCO Microcredit is Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in the Conservancies

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When Jamarose Moru thinks about her childhood, she remembers her parents struggling to keep them in school. They had never received formal education themselves, especially given their pastoralist background, which has a record of some of the lowest school-completion rates in the country, largely due to poverty and a lack of financial support. Livestock was the family’s only asset, and when schoolbooks or uniforms were needed, a goat or sheep would often be sold. Her eldest sister reached Class Eight before dropping out; the two subsequent siblings never enrolled. Jamarose managed to finish primary school, but the cost of secondary education was far beyond what her family could afford.

After leaving school, Jamarose found herself on a path that many young women in her situation often tread. She rose early to fetch water, sometimes firewood, helping her mother with chores, and tended to the family’s herd until she got married by the time she was 18. Her husband’s income as a casual security guard was irregular, and with children to care for, Jamarose turned to selling charcoal, a demanding, environmentally taxing trade, but the only option available at the time.

In the middle of her day-to-day activities, she would often pass a group of women who met regularly under a tree, with a locked metal box at the centre of their circle. In a place where little went unnoticed, everyone knew what the gatherings were about: the local Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA). Jamarose had always known of it but never thought it could apply to her; saving a few coins seemed pointless when every shilling already had a purpose. Yet she couldn’t ignore how the group seemed to weather difficulties differently by finding help among themselves. That quiet sense of security and the way they supported one another began to shift her thinking. After a while, she joined them, considering it a small but hopeful beginning.

Jamarose packs tomatoes for a customer

In January 2018, she was also introduced to Rangelands SACCO through its Community Enterprise Agent. As a member of a formal financial institution, she saw it as an opportunity to strengthen her growing financial discipline and began saving consistently. By 2023, her savings were enough to qualify her for a first loan of Ksh. 60,000. With that, she opened a small shop near their manyatta in Attan, just about a kilometre from Tractor, the nearby town centre within the Nakuprat-Gotu Conservancy. Her shop became a direct response to the everyday challenges her community faced. Many residents had to travel long distances to Isiolo town to buy basic supplies, making the trip inconvenient and costly. By stocking essential goods such as sugar, cooking oil, rice, cereals, and even stationery, she met local demand and eased the financial and physical burdens of access.

That same year, a Biashara Mashinani endline survey found that 99.7% of businesses supported in NRT community conservancies had survived the 2022–2023 drought. Among them was Jamarose’s, which, despite enduring significant losses, remained operational. Her customers, mostly livestock keepers, were struck, forcing them to migrate in search of pasture and water. Much of her income was also channelled towards ensuring the survival of their animals, including veterinary services, supplements, and water. In 2024, determined to recover and strengthen her business, she secured a second loan of Ksh. 70,000 from the Sacco, which she used to renovate and expand her shop, ensuring it could better serve her customers’ needs.

On good days, she can serve up to 30 customers, bringing in around Ksh. 5,000. However, there are also slower days when her earnings might only reach Ksh. 1,000. When the business is less busy in the afternoon, she tends to their one-acre maize and bean farm and sells the surplus in her shop for extra income.

Jamarose arranges packets of sugar neatly on the shelf

The mother of seven has long-term plans to take her business to the next level. One of her big goals is to enrol in a driving school so she can obtain her license and eventually secure another loan to buy a vehicle to help her deliver goods more efficiently. With reliable transportation, she hopes to reduce delivery costs and grow her business into a supply hub for other local shopkeepers.

Jamarose has become an advocate for sustainable, climate-conscious entrepreneurship, encouraging other women to explore alternatives to charcoal-burning and to join financial institutions such as Rangelands SACCO. She believes that access to tailored services, including savings, credit, investment opportunities, and valuable training in entrepreneurship and financial literacy, can transform lives, and she’s determined to help others tap into that potential.

Two Friends, One Workshop: The Partnership Powering Phone Repair in Saleti

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Ibrahim Adan (L) and Mohamud Mohammed (R) at their workshop in Saleti

If you’re scrolling through TikTok, you might stumble upon a video that feels different from the usual dance trends. It’s a close-up shot of two pairs of hands, steady as surgeons, working under a bright bulb or natural light. One hand holds a heat gun to the edge of a shattered smartphone, while the other carefully manoeuvres a thin prying tool.

This is the digital storefront of Moibra Phone Repair Services. It’s how Mohamud Mohammed and Ibrahim Adan, two friends from Saleti village, are telling the world that they’ve arrived.

To understand Moibra, you have to understand the bond between the two men behind the name. Mohamud and Ibrahim weren’t just classmates; they were friends who grew up in the same neighbourhood, navigating the same frustrations. After finishing Form Four, they found themselves in that hollow, quiet period that often follows secondary school in rural areas. For two years, they stayed at home, helping where they could, but feeling the weight of being “idle.” For Mohamud, the pressure was even more personal—he had started a family, who were counting on him, and he knew that just “getting by” wasn’t going to pay for the school fees his oldest child would soon need.

They didn’t want to just find any job; they wanted to solve a problem they saw every day in Saleti. The village was full of smartphones, but it was a “repair desert.” If your phone’s mouthpiece died or the speaker gave out, you were stuck. Seeing this, the two friends decided to enroll together in the three-month mobile repair course. While they were friends before the training, it was over those workbenches that they realised they functioned better as a team. By the time graduation came on February 13, 2024, they didn’t just have certificates; they had a business plan.

They knew that if they didn’t start immediately, the techniques they’d mastered would start to get “rusty.” Practice makes perfect, and they couldn’t afford to be anything less than perfect. They pooled KSh 10,000 each, a massive amount given they’d been out of work for two years, and rented a tiny room for KSh 1,000.

It was a tough, gritty start. The shop had no electricity. They had to rely on solar panels, which meant their workday was entirely at the mercy of the weather. On cloudy days, or once the sun began to dip toward the horizon at 4:00 PM, their tools went cold. They had the startup toolkits from the program—the fine-tipped screwdrivers, the multimeters, the soldering irons—but without consistent power, they were limited. Yet they stuck it out for six months in that dark shop, saving every coin and building a reputation as the only qualified technicians in the area.

By April 8, 2024, they officially launched the Moibra brand. They weren’t just “fixing phones”; they were running a professional service. To get the word out, they put up posters and took to TikTok, using social media to show off their repairs to a younger, tech-savvy audience. The strategy worked. Soon, customers weren’t just coming from Saleti, but travelling from Malkagalla and Merti because they finally had qualified technicians close to home. By October, the savings from their first shop allowed them to do something bold. They moved into their own new establishment that finally had electricity connectivity after the village got connected to the power grid.

It was an investment of over KSh 25,000 into their future. With constant power, they could finally handle the high-stakes jobs, like screen replacements that cost between KSh 2,800 and KSh 3,000. They also made a smart choice by adding a barber shop section. They realised that in Saleti, people travel a long way to get their phones fixed. By offering a haircut for KSh 700 or 800 while the client waited for a new phone speaker or mouthpiece, they ensured the shop was always buzzing, and income was always steady.

Thanks to the entrepreneurship and financial literacy lessons they received from Biashara Mashinani, the partners maintain strict records. They track their monthly profits and share them fairly, and they’ve learned the hard way to avoid unnecessary credit extensions that could drain their cash flow.

For Mohamud, the shop is a lifeline. It means his children have a father who can provide for them, and his oldest can stay in school without the fear of being sent home for fees. For the village, the two men have earned a new kind of respect. They aren’t just “the boys from the neighbourhood” anymore; they are the experts who brought the digital world back to life in Saleti.

Their plan for the next few years is to take Moibra even further, opening branches in other towns and eventually helping other young people get off the streets. They might eventually open their own separate shops one day, but for now, they are proving that a friendship forged in the village and tempered over a soldering iron is the strongest foundation a business can have.

Ujuzi Manyattani and the Making of a New Generation of Entrepreneurs

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It is a Wednesday morning in Archers Post, and by nine o’clock the town is already alive with activity. Just off the highway, a freshly painted pink door stands out among a row of stalls. Through the string curtain at its entrance, black-and-pink salon chairs are visible beneath warm gypsum lights reflected in wide mirrors. A customer, freshly shaved, leans forward to inspect his reflection. At the counter, a woman jots in a notebook, shelves of neatly arranged beauty products framing the space.

That woman is Priscilla Nchichi Juma, a 36-year-old entrepreneur and the owner of Vinpelo Spa & Salon. When Priscilla first expressed interest in studying hairdressing and beauty therapy, reactions were mixed. Some encouraged her; others dismissed it as impractical, a pastime rather than a profession. Today, her confidence is unmistakable, rooted in the experience of building a business from the ground up.

Before all of this took shape, Priscilla’s life was far from what it is today. The youngest of seven children, life changed drastically after losing both parents and the family’s circumstances shifted abruptly. Priscilla and her siblings were taken in by relatives, and her maternal aunt became her guardian, doing her best despite limited means. Although Priscilla completed primary school, financial constraints made secondary education unattainable.

In the years that followed, she relied on casual work to contribute to household needs. The income was modest and unpredictable, leaving little opportunity to save. At 22, she married and continued working to support her family. Together with her husband, they managed as best they could, but school fees, food, and daily expenses consumed most of their income, leaving little room to invest in a business of her own.

Her introduction to hairdressing came through informal work at local salons. She began with basic tasks like washing clients’ hair, cleaning up, and handing over hairpieces to stylists in the middle of braiding. Before long, she was helping with cornrows, blow-dries, and styling. “Watching clients light up when they looked in the mirror made me fall in love with this work,” she recalls.

Priscilla performs a facial scrub for a client

Although she dreamed of owning a salon, Priscilla believed that proper training was essential – more than just skills learned by observation. She held onto her dream, considering it something for “one day.” That opportunity came in 2024, when she learned about Ujuzi Manyattani, a flagship mobile vocational training program under MashinaniWORKS that aimed to empower youth and women like her through practical skills training, without disrupting their way of life. The program, endorsed by the Sera Conservancy management, local leaders, and stakeholders, arrived at the right moment for her. Priscilla enrolled in a three-month course in hairdressing and beauty therapy and the program’s flexibility allowed her to attend classes while caring for her youngest child, making learning seamless for mothers like her.

Under the guidance of an instructor from Kiirua Technical Training Institute, Priscilla strengthened her technical skills, learning braiding, haircutting, skincare treatments, manicures, pedicures, and makeup application. Alongside vocational skills training, she and her classmates received business and financial literacy training, which is a key component to developing the skills needed to manage sustainable enterprises and generate profitable income. It has played an essential role in enhancing graduates’ business acumen, leading 88% of them to establish promising careers in related fields.

Priscilla completed the three-month training in June 2024, earning a Level 3 (Mastery) certificate in Hairdressing from Nyeri National Polytechnic, a nationally recognised qualification. She also received a startup toolkit to help her begin her journey in the beauty industry. Rather than opening a salon immediately, she took time to plan carefully. She began by working from home and offering mobile services within her neighbourhood, refining her skills while saving and learning about local demand.

Priscilla receives her certificate and start-up toolkits in the presence of dignitaries, led by Former British High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan, during the Ujuzi Manyattani graduation held in Doldol on 19th June 2024

As a member of a women’s table banking group, Priscilla had been saving and borrowing from their shared fund. When the time felt right, she combined her savings with a small loan. The funds allowed her to renovate a space, purchase salon furniture, and stock essential products. A few months later, her long-held dream became Vinpelo Spa & Salon.

The response from the community exceeded her expectations. Men came in for haircuts, while women booked appointments for styling and beauty services. Products that were previously difficult to find locally sold quickly. Saturdays, which coincide with market days in Archers Post, became especially busy, bustling from morning until afternoon. Today, the salon generates between KES 8,000 and 10,000 on a good day from services and product sales.

Competition in the beauty industry is unavoidable, especially in her industry, where loyalty runs deep. However, her clients keep returning. She attributes this to offering personalized attention, consistent follow-ups, and treating everyone as if they were the first of the day. This professionalism has earned her trust and word-of-mouth referrals which have slowly become her strongest marketing tools.

Her success now extends beyond her own household. The salon employs two young people, one as a barber and another assisting with hair and beauty services. The income she earns has also enabled her to support three teenagers in school, some of whom are orphans or come from financially vulnerable families.

Looking ahead, Priscilla plans to expand into wholesale beauty supplies and eventually become a Trainer of Trainers, which will offer a practical way to sharing skills to extend opportunity to other young people build livelihoods of their own, drawing directly on the pathway she accessed through Ujuzi Manyattani.

Water for the People, Work for Paul

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Before the sound of running water ever meant income, Paul Kiperus was known around Kiwanja as the guy you’d find at the riverbeds, loading sand onto lorries. Today, he’s the one people call when their tanks are leaking or when they finally decide to install indoor plumbing.

He was in Form 1 when everything changed. An elephant attacked his father while he was running errands. The injuries were serious, such that both legs were broken, and just like that, Paul had to stop school. The money that would have been allocated for his school fees was redirected to cover hospital bills and other medical expenses. As the eldest child, he stepped up, and school had to wait as he stayed back to take care of his siblings.

To make ends meet, Paul worked at sand harvesting sites. He’d get Ksh. 300 for every lorry he helped load. Most of the time, he was forced to work in the dead of night; it was cold, tiring, and risky. The riverbeds could flood without warning, and on more than one occasion, he feared for his life. But he kept going because staying idle was not an option.

While working as a sand harvester, Paul still found time to help around his community. He had volunteered for two years to monitor water pipes in a nearby Community Land Management Committee (CLMC) project, even though he didn’t know how to fix them. Whenever there was a leak, someone else had to be called in. The board saw his dedication, and when Ujuzi Manyattani came, they suggested he take it a step further by enrolling in a plumbing course under the vocational training program. It was something he had quietly been working toward all along.

At first, upon joining, he was nervous. He had never been to a classroom since dropping out of school. Some of the skills he was taught included pipe fitting, water supply, drainage systems, and plumbing fixtures, among others. They even had practical sessions in nearby schools.

After completing training, Paul didn’t sit still. He took on small jobs, such as fixing tanks, repairing leaks, and connecting homes to the water supply. His phone started ringing more often. For the first time in years, he had regular work and income he could count on. “I’d leave the house in the morning and come back in the evening with something for the family,” he says.

With his nationally recognized certificate in hand, Paul applied for a job under the Makurian Osirua Water Project with Laikipia County. He was accepted as a casual and has now been on the payroll for nine months, earning around Ksh. 9,000 monthly. For bigger jobs, he links his classmates from the program.

He’s also been involved by the Mayianat Conservancy management in repairing pipelines that elephants have destroyed.

Their area had always struggled with access to water. When a storage tank was finally built to help the community, many families wanted water piped directly to their homes. Paul took it upon himself to lend a hand. The demand grew so rapidly that he decided to open a small plumbing workshop, stocking fittings and connectors that people used to travel as far as Nanyuki to buy.

With support from Rangelands SACCO through FFI-Darwin, he got a Ksh. 50,000 loan to expand.  Paul dreams of further growing his shop, adding things beyond plumbing and other hardware materials.

A New Dawn: Ufugaji Bora Mashinani Radically Transforms a Herder’s Life

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Loimap Lekula’s education journey was cut short in grade 6.

Perennial drought in Sasaab Village, Samburu County, where he lived with his parents, forced the now 29-year-old father of four and devoted husband to take care of his family’s livestock instead. For many years after he dropped out of school, Lekula’s days revolved around herding and grazing his family’s livestock across the vast northern Kenya rangelands. Often, he would trek long distances in search of pasture, while protecting the animals from harsh conditions and predators.

This was his routine until 2021, when he learnt about the Ufugaji Bora Mashinani Programme, run by MashinaniWORKS through West Gate Community Conservancy. Lekula decided to enroll, alongside 299 other herders.

The Program’s first training session covered livestock breeding and quickly became his favorite, as he learnt how to improve his livestock’s productivity through selective breeding. Inspired by this knowledge, Lekula purchased a Galla she-goat, a breed renowned for its superior quality. This decision increased Lekula’s milk production and improved his family’s nutritional health, instilling a sense of pride he had never experienced before.

The training also deepened Lekula’s understanding of climate change, a major challenge for pastoralists in northern Kenya. He learnt adaptation strategies, including preserving feed and breeding more resilient livestock. Having previously lost nearly all his cattle to drought, Lekula, who currently owns 20 goats and two cows, felt more prepared than ever to face the prolonged dry seasons that once decimated his herd.

“Not long ago, I had 20 cows and lost all but three to drought,” Lekula vividly recalls. “That huge
loss taught me to adapt to our changing environment, and now I know how to prevent such
losses.”

Loimap Lekula

The Ufugaji Bora Mashinani Programme appointed Lekula as a Livestock Marketing Agent (LMA). To enable him to conduct his responsibilities, he was issued a solar-powered smartphone through which he communicates and collects data. As an LMA, he disseminates information on market trends, the condition of grazing lands, and livestock health to other herders.

On the 20th of March, Lekula graduated alongside other herders at a spectacular ceremony to celebrate their completion of three years of training. When he received his certificate, he saw more than a piece of paper. For him, the certificate symbolised the dawn of a new era—an opportunity to help his community, share the knowledge he had gained, and break the cycle of poverty that had held him back for so long. Lekula realised he no longer was just a herder. Now, he was a trained professional with the skills to make a real difference in West Gate Community Conservancy.

Loimap Lekula receives his certificate of completion from the Ufugaji Bora Mashinani program on the 20th of March, 2024.

After his graduation, Lekula joined a 30-member self-help group where he and his peers engage in various income-generating activities, including beading, selling livestock, and running small businesses. The group pools members’ earnings into a joint account, which creates a financial safety net that increases their resilience and provides timely support during difficult times.

Beyond livestock farming and the self-help group’s activities, Lekula has ventured into poultry farming—a role traditionally perceived as reserved for women. Having begun with a modest flock, he now owns 55 chickens and regularly receives orders for eggs and meat. He reinvests the additional income in his goat herd, further increasing his financial stability.

Lekula envisions a future where every herder has a stable income and the skills to adapt to climate change, prevent losses, and secure fair livestock prices in the market. He strives to inspire the next generation and ensure that his children—and every child in his community—has access to nutritious food and better education.

Rangelands SACCO: Harnessing Inclusion for Economic Development

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At the age of 10, Alice Shakinei from Masol Community Conservancy in West Pokot County experienced a severe reaction in her right leg following a polio injection during a clinic visit.

Her family sought treatment from community herbalists, and after several failed attempts, took her back to the hospital. Unfortunately for Alice, it was too late. She was left with a disability that physically restricted her in multiple ways. Determined to rise above her circumstances, Alice grew up to become an industrious lady who today runs her own petroleum business.

On a typical day, you will find her cheerfully filling up her jerry-cans with petroleum, ready to serve her customers. Before she established her business, Alice was a stay-at-home mother with no source of income, and was left to raise her children by herself after her husband left.

“At that moment, I knew that the children were looking up to me as their provider, so I decided to start selling petrol and diesel on people’s verandas. It took me two years before I secured a space.”

In 2019, Alice used a Ksh 25,000 loan from Rangelands SACCO to grow her business. As the sole fuel supplier in her area, which lacks a petrol station, the demand for her products and services has risen. On a good day, she makes up to Ksh 10,000 and on an average day, up to Ksh 6,000.

The business training Alice received from Biashara Mashinani played a crucial role in the expansion of her business. “I had the skills and a bit of knowledge, but what I was taught was not even close to half what I knew. Learning budgeting, proper business planning, record keeping, and time management helped me,” she explains.

Alice fills a jerry can at her shop in Marich Centre, West Pokot County. Photo|©MashinaniWORKS

Alice is not immune to the stigma associated with her condition. “People have said negative things about me, but at the end of the day, I know that I am the only one who can help my children and myself.” Additionally, Alice’s limited mobility causes her to lose customers sometimes, as deliveries are unsuccessful or delayed.

These challenges would discourage many, but not Alice, now 37. She draws strength from knowing she has built a safe home for her three children and ensured they have access to education and other basic necessities. Alice aspires to own a petrol station and serve customers from all parts of the country. Her advice to young girls and women is, “Prioritise venturing into business, embrace everything that comes with it, and do not let anything stop you from achieving your goals.”

Defying Gravity: How Ujuzi Manyattani Transformed a Young Man’s Life

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Born into a Turkana family in a remote village in northern Kenya’s Isiolo County, Jonathan Nawapa’s early life was shaped by financial crisis.

In a desperate attempt to improve their circumstances, Jonathan’s family relocated to the outskirts of Isiolo Town. However, escalating living costs and the difficulties of adjusting to a new environment compelled Jonathan’s parents to make tough decisions, including discontinuing Jonathan’s education.

Consequently, he withdrew from school after completing Grade 7. Ever since he was a little boy, Jonathan had been fascinated by the art of fixing things. Now that he had plenty of free time, he spent countless hours working beside his uncle, who often repaired household equipment such as radios, and learnt by observing each step.

As fate would have it, Jonathan’s uncle passed away, and he felt the loss deeply. Death had robbed him of a mentor. Despite his devastation, Jonathan followed in the footsteps of his uncle and began repairing small gadgets in the house, including watches and radios. Having no access to electricity, he adopted his uncle’s improvisational techniques. He would heat a five-cent coin on a charcoal stove, then use it as a makeshift soldering tool to connect wires. His ingenuity did not go unnoticed. Over time, the community began to turn to him for assistance fixing broken equipment.

Jonathan repairs a television at his workshop. ©MashinaniWORKS

After turning 20, Jonathan sought ways to learn the intricacies of equipment repair and lift his family out of poverty. In Isiolo Town, he met an experienced technician who took him under his wing as an apprentice for five years. During this period, he learnt to repair a variety of home appliances. His interest was piqued, and he dreamed of expanding his skill set to include mobile phone repair.

Jonathan’s big break came when a Leparua Community Conservancy board member noticed his dedication and informed him of the ICEP-funded Ujuzi Manyattani vocational training programme. Without hesitation, Jonathan enrolled in the mobile phone repair and maintenance course. The next three months were life-changing for him, as he learned essential repair techniques from a professional TVET trainer.

On February 13, 2024, 140 trainees graduated from Ujuzi Manyattani, and Jonathan was among them.
Like the other graduates, Jonathan was issued a certificate and a start-up toolkit, enabling him to establish a business right after graduation. Soon after, he joined a Village Savings and Loans Association and borrowed Ksh 30,000 (USD 232.55) to rent a small workshop and purchase additional tools.

Jonathan (far right) poses for a photo with his classmates as they proudly hold up their certificates during the Ujuzi Manyattani graduation ceremony on February 13th. ©MashinaniWORKS

Today, Jonathan’s shop is a bustling hub of electronic repairs, attracting nearby clients as well as those from neighboring Samburu and Marsabit Counties, who send in their devices via bus. He earns at least Ksh 3,000 daily (approximately USD 23.25) and up to Ksh 10,000 (approximately USD 77.51) for complex repairs, such as fixing television screens.

Jonathan shares his workshop with a business partner. Their combined expertise enables them to expand their service offering, which ranges from repairing phones, thermostats, coils, cables, and kettle fuses to fixing television backlights, motherboards, power supplies, and screens.

Jonathan envisions stocking the workshop with spare parts to reduce costs and training youth in his community. He aspires to create opportunities for others like him to learn profitable skills, so they too can improve their livelihoods, just as he has.

Four Friends and A Vision: How Ujuzi Manyattani is Transforming Lives of Youth in Northern Kenya

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Business partnerships have long been a powerful force for success, allowing individuals to pool their strengths, share risks, and create something far greater than what could be achieved alone. In many ways, collaboration can be the cornerstone of building sustainable ventures, particularly in regions where access to resources and capital is limited.

Settled under the shade of an iron sheet roofing, a small team of young men huddles together, tools in hand, working on a motorbike – Shadrack Kinyanjui, Amos Legalhaile, Joram Lemirgichan & Daddy Lemerketo are Ujuzi Manyattani graduates who, with the support of Basecamp Foundation, completed a three-month training in motorcycle repair and maintenance.

Shadrack Kinyanjui, known by his Samburu moniker ‘Lekokoyo,’ was born and raised in Sereolipi. He is the drive behind this partnership, and before joining the program, he was a boda boda operator. His motorbike would often break down in remote areas, far from any garage, leaving him frustrated and stranded. Each time, he would incur additional costs for labor and transport of mechanics who had to come from far away. The worst part? He could do nothing about it. “There were times I would come across a fellow rider stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken-down bike, but I couldn’t help them. I had no idea how to fix anything,” Shadrack recalls.

Driven by the desire to solve these problems, Shadrack yearned for skills that could help him and others in his community. When he heard about Ujuzi Manyattani, a program that brings vocational training directly to the communities, he jumped at the opportunity, a decision that turned out to be life-changing.
After graduating in June 2024, Shadrack didn’t just hold onto his toolkit—he had a bigger vision. Noticing a gap in qualified mechanics in his home area, he gathered his three friends, all fellow graduates from the course, and together, they set up a small garage for repair services outside an auto spares shop. “Working together has been a good decision,” Shadrack says. “Shared responsibilities and helping each other out. One may be good at wiring, while the other at fixing clutches.”

Shadrack repairs a motorcycle at their garage in Sereolipi, Samburu County

However, the path wasn’t easy. The young men faced skepticism from locals who hesitated to trust their expertise, fearing they were too new to the craft. But they’ve persisted, working hard to prove their worth. On good days, they receive 5-6 customers, earning around KES 1,000 per day each, while on slower days, they focus on smaller jobs like fixing punctures for KES 100. They also began offering mobile services, traveling to remote areas to fix bikes where other mechanics couldn’t reach. It’s this determination to serve their community that has slowly earned them a growing customer base.

Their business is still young, but their dreams are big. They’re currently training a fellow youth, passing on the skills learned through Ujuzi Manyattani. In the future, they dream of expanding their business, opening their own auto spares shop, and eventually establishing individual enterprises, continuing to grow and share in each other’s success.

What started as a three-month course has become a lifelong empowerment and entrepreneurship journey for these four young men. Through collaboration and a shared vision, they are not just fixing bikes but also breaking the cycle of poverty and unemployment in their community.

From Early Motherhood to Building a Life of Independence: Teresa’s Journey of Entrepreneurship and Growth

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In a remote village in Masol Conservancy, West Pokot County, Teresa Elolia is a renowned entrepreneur with a reputation growing as quickly as her ambitions. Growing up, her world revolved around family, but as the years passed, she realized that her passion could be something more. When an unexpected opportunity came her way, Teresa saw the chance to turn her skills into something tangible, setting her on a path she hadn’t anticipated.

Born into a modest household, her family provided a stable environment, allowing her to focus on what mattered most—education. However, Teresa’s life took an unexpected turn when she became pregnant in Grade 7 with her first child, yet despite the odds, she managed to complete her primary school education. But after joining Form 1, she soon became pregnant with her second child. Struggling to balance motherhood and education, Teresa made the difficult decision to drop out of school and focus on raising her children. At a young age, Teresa later met a man who fathered her third child. However, this relationship proved to be another challenge. The man, often lost in alcohol, could barely provide for the family. Left with no choice, Teresa parted ways with him and returned to her parents’ home.

With limited options and children to care for, Teresa began wondering how she could change her life’s trajectory. In 2022, through MashinaniWORKS’ Ujuzi Manyattani program, with the support of USAID, Teresa found hope. One of the local community members informed Teresa’s father, who didn’t hesitate to submit her name for enrollment. The beauty of Ujuzi Manyattani lay in its inclusivity—there were no education-level restrictions. Teresa eagerly chose to pursue catering, a craft she had always been passionate about.

Teresa, second row, first from the right during the Masol Ujuzi Manyattani graduation in 2022

“A few months into the training, I noticed a gap in the local market for baked goods like cakes, donuts, and mandazi, and I seized the opportunity,”

With just a packet of wheat flour and cooking oil, she prepared small batches and hawked them to nearby shops while juggling her studies. This helped her earn an income while getting popular for her services.

Upon graduating with her catering certificate and receiving a tool kit from the program, Teresa fully launched herself into the business world. Her catering skills allowed her to expand her offerings, and she soon started selling maize, beans, and sugar to local hotels, making around KES 12,000 from these sales alone. On a good day, Teresa’s catering business, including a mini hotel, brings in up to KES 6,000. Even on slower days, she can at least make KES 1,000—enough to sustain her family and ensure her children attend school. She no longer relies on her parents for financial support but also helps take care of her siblings; her stability has brought her a sense of independence she once only dreamed of.

With the growing settlement around the area, there has been increased competition in the local market, but the unique touch of her work and the skills she gained from Ujuzi Manyattani keep her ahead of the curve.

With dreams of expanding her business and even employing others, Teresa sees a future where her services are sought after far and wide. She also plans to invest in livestock, diversifying her income sources, and continually upgrading her skills to remain competitive.

Beads of Hope: How BeadWORKS is Transforming Lives of Pastoralist Women through Handicraft

Posted on by nrttrading

Isn’t it amazing when mastering a craft becomes a pathway to financial independence and community leadership? For Nampaiyo Lepartingat, this was her reality.

As a mother of seven from Kalama Community Conservancy, Samburu County, her daily life revolved around caring for her family and managing their livestock. The unpredictability of livestock sales often left her financially strained, relying solely on her husband’s income. However, Nampaiyo sought ways to improve her family’s financial stability.

Everything changed five years ago when she discovered BeadWORKS through a friend. Intrigued by the prospect of earning additional income without leaving her home or livestock unattended, she eagerly embraced the opportunity to learn. Joining a Kalama women’s beading group, Nampaiyo quickly distinguished herself as a diligent and skilled artisan. Her talent in creating beautiful pieces and natural leadership capabilities rapidly became evident, leading to her recognition as a starbeader. She is one of 108 starbeaders and acts as a link between BeadWORKS and the beaders. Her responsibilities extend to serving as a supervisor and providing support, guidance, and leadership to the group members.

Through BeadWORKS’ support and training initiatives, Nampaiyo honed her beading skills and gained an understanding of financial management and entrepreneurship. The training offered through the Rangelands SACCO equipped her with essential knowledge in savings and credit management. This enabled her to invest in her businesses, including setting up a successful chicken-rearing business and a shop with mobile money services. With her earnings, Nampaiyo built a modern home for her family, replacing their traditional grass-thatched dwelling, and also provided her children with better living conditions, including access to electricity for smooth learning and security.

Since 2015, BeadWORKS has become a driving force for change among 1,200 pastoralist women in northern Kenya. By leveraging the inbuilt skills of these pastoralist women, BeadWORKS has effectively turned their artisanal craft into a sustainable source of income. For Nampaiyo and the other women, market linkages have been created locally and internationally, expanding their economic opportunities. This increased market access has amplified the impact of BeadWORKS, leading to further economic growth and empowerment for the women.

BeadWORKS, a handicraft initiative under MashinaniWORKS, harnesses the traditional beading skills of women in northern Kenya. This business line provides pastoralist women from nine NRT member conservancies with the opportunity to transform their cultural craft into a vital source of income. In doing so, BeadWORKS helps these women support their families while contributing millions of shillings in conservation fees that fund community development projects.

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