Members of Kakilongo Vusime Women Self Help Group in Kimama, Bungoma County go through their financial records during one of their group meetings. This group is among 10 support groups composed of people with mental health conditions, epilepsy and psychosocial disabilities and/or their caregivers who are benefitting from continuous skills development sessions to address gaps that hinder their ability to generate sustainable incomes and seed grants to support economically viable activities. This is part of a project being implemented by Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya in the County, that is funded by ECOM Foundation. Photo by BNBR

Jane Barasa (front left in the photo), the group’s chairlady, was happy to give us an update on how the group is progressing.

We have been together for 5 years

Our group was formed back in 2019. We were and still are a support group where we come together to aid each other in times of need. As women, we feel it is important to be part of a support system to provide each other with a shoulder to lean on.

All our group members are also part of the Kimama Coffee Society therefore, our primary source of income is from cultivating coffee and selling coffee beans through the society. However, keeping in mind the tough economic times and the fact that our needs keep growing, we have learnt that we have to engage in multiple income generating ventures to make ends meet.

For all our members, our biggest challenge is finance to educate our children. Our lands are fertile therefore we are able to engage in subsistence farming. We however need more income in the form of cash to cater for other household needs especially education of our children.

This program was very timely  

Our group has received a number of capacity building trainings. For instance, we were trained on modern techniques of farming and agricultural diversification so that we are not solely reliant on commercial coffee farming, as well as identifying alternative income generating opportunities.

We have also received a seed grant of KES50,000 that went into our table banking kitty. This has significantly boosted our access to capital as our members are able to take up more loans from the kitty, finance our individual business ventures and pay back the loan with a 10 per cent interest.

For instance, some of our members who run small kiosks or tailoring businesses borrow money which they use to restock and once they make sales, they repay the loans with the interest and take a fresh loan to restock.

We are putting new knowledge into practice

We have decided as a group to invest in a joint venture of sheep rearing as one of the ways to diversify our income. We opted for sheep because they require relatively low maintenance, they are hardy, they reproduce quickly and are profitable. Based on our research, currently one sheep goes for over KES7,000 depending on its size. We currently have three and will start selling them once their numbers have increased to at least 15.

Our members are also investing in additional ventures individually. For instance, there are some who have invested in onion trading where they buy onions directly from local farms and sell at the market, making a small profit. Typically, we buy onions at source for about KES50 per kg and sell at the market at between KES70 and KES90 per kg depending on market conditions. Our profit is often dependent on the quantity we buy and sell. So, our strategy is usually to first find out what the market price is before we source for them so that we can make a good return.

Our households are also greatly benefiting

Having access to additional sources of finance has been good for us and our households. Case in point, husbands of our members who are married, appreciate that their wives can contribute to the household expenses by complementing what they are already doing. This has helped ease their financial burden.

Myself, I am a widow, and therefore all my household expenses fall on me. I am happy that I am able to cater for most of my household expenses. I however still don’t have enough to cater for school fees for my six children, but I have been able to access education bursaries which have helped reduce this burden.

I am optimistic that as we continue to put the lessons we have learnt from the project into practice and continue to pool our resources as a group and diversify our investments in income generating opportunities, we are going to be prosperous.