Betty’s Success Inspires Others
When local partner Jitokeze Wamama Wafrika offered marginalized women training in tailoring, hairdressing or farming as a way to generate income, Betty opted for the tailoring and dressmaking curriculum. She has a young son to care for and, as the eldest in a family of six, responsibilities to her siblings and parents as well. She was determined to get ahead in the field of tailoring.
The primary participants in the program are young women who are marginalized in the community. They are vulnerable to harmful cultural practices that violate their wellbeing as girls and women and would not otherwise have a way of providing for themselves and their children.
Betty had joined the program in May of 2022 and completed her training in March of 2023. She immediately began earning a modest income through employment with a local shop. She was able to save enough money in a year to pay for a little under half of the cost of purchasing a shipping container in which to set up her own dress shop in a prime spot along a busy road. Her aunt and mother contributed the remaining funds needed and in May of 2024 she opened her business, which she named “Betty Fashion Design Shop.” Her bold move exemplifies her entrepreneurial spirit and serves as an example of empowerment for other young women in her community.
Despite her progress, Betty now faces the challenge of insufficient capital to purchase additional fabrics and supplies needed to fully realize her vision for the shop. However, she is undeterred. Betty’s plan is to gradually save from her current earnings to expand her business. Her long-term goal is to open a larger shop, where she can employ more vulnerable girls trained at Jitokeze, helping them to secure a steady income and support their families.
Betty’s journey underscores the importance of skill development and the ripple effect it can have within communities. Her determination to uplift others, even as she works to overcome her own challenges, highlights the profound impact that organizations like Jitokeze Wamama Wafrika can have on individuals and their broader communities.
Kenya West Pokot Program
Led by Covenant World Relief and Development and Local Partner Jitokeze Wamama Wafrika