In the rural, dryland, and slum areas of Kenya and Uganda, many young women start small street businesses with dreams of a better life. Sadly, most of these businesses collapsed under the weight of climate change, COVID-19, conflict, displacement, and lack of skills or resources.
With the right coaching to improve business skills, capital to restart and grow collapsed businesses, and social support to build networks and ensure sustainability, women can turn their dreams into lasting success. This also leading to school dropouts, hunger, and fewer chances for a brighter future.
Civicom Aid is changing this story. We provide training, mentorship, and startup capital to help young women build sustainable businesses that support their families and communities. Each assisted entrepreneur has capacity to create about five new jobs.
With additional support, we can reach thousands of women each year—lifting families out of poverty, strengthening communities, and helping young women thrive as leaders and entrepreneurs.
Malezi Bora Daycare
Fay Mbodze, a devoted mother and caregiver, began Malezi Bora Daycare in Likoni with determination and training from Civicom Aid. She was committed to creating a safe space where children could learn, grow, and give parents peace of mind.
In her first month of may, Fay welcomed a few children into her small rented space. With love and patience, she gained the trust of parents who needed reliable care. Soon, Malezi Bora was sustaining her family and giving working mothers freedom to look for jobs and earn income—proving one small beginning can spark change for many.
But challenges arose. Children sat on the floor, lacked toys, balls, and had no safe painted walls. To secure her daycare, Fay seeks USD 342 for furniture, play materials, and painting. With this support, she can serve more than 200 children, create 15 jobs, and strengthen her community.
Tamu Tamu Dishes
Bethian Mwarachu, a single mother of three in Likoni, Kenya, began Tamu Tamu Dishes with determination and training from Civicom Aid.
After years of failed ventures that left her in deep poverty, she turned her new skills into a food business that now feeds her family and inspires her community.                                                       In her first months, word spread quickly, and Tamu Tamu Dishes grew to sustain her household while creating six jobs for staff and four for suppliers. Each morning, Bethian rises early to plan, shop, and prepare meals with care, knowing her work holds power to transform lives.
Yet challenges remain: without tables, branding, or digital marketing, growth stalls. To secure her business, Bethian seeks USD 328 for furniture, painting, utensils, and painting. With this support, she will expand sales, create new jobs, and help more women rise above poverty.
Porters Women Center
In Kawangware slum, forty-eight women trained by Civicom Aid came together to start Porters Women Center — a hardworking group turning groundnuts into peanut butter to earn better income and build a brighter future.
They began with simple tools, roasting groundnuts over wood fires, peeling by hand, and grinding manually to make small daily sales. Their hard work and unity soon inspired other women in the community to join and learn from them.
Now, they are seeking USD 12,000 to buy a Cold Extraction Pressing Machine. This machine will help them process groundnuts faster, produce better-quality peanut butter and oil, and use peanut shells for animal feed or fertilizer. It will also reduce the need for firewood, helping protect the environment while saving time and energy.