NCCK in Kisumu

The recurrent theme of micro-loans and fostering small entrepreneurship recurs – again. Both the visits to NCCK in Kisumu on the 18^th , and the visit to OAIC in Nairobi on the 19^th, are about the same types of projects: small groups of women (although there are a few men involved in OAIC) that manage their loans and runs small businesses: food preparation, retail, used clothing, sewing, etc.

The spirit and hospitality that these women show has been so wonderful. Each place I go, I meet people who are supporting themselves and their families, often employing one or two more people, and even extending help and charity to others. Their generosity and spirit are compelling. I don’t think I've every been a fan of so-called‘trickle-down economics,’ because it’s usually benefited the rich more than the poor; but here the benefits are often trickling down from the poor to the virtually destitute. Lives are being transformed for what many North Americans would drop on a pair of theatre tickets, Christmas gifts, or just a special dinner out.

Kennedy Olango, on staff at NCCK (National Council of Chuches in Kenya), met Lauren and me at the guest house in Kisumu. We gathered in a meeting room with some 20 women in the collective. Together, they administer loans amongst themselves to help run their micro-businesses. The diversity in their enterprises is amazing. Almost all involve retail of some sort, including eggs, potatoes, used car parts, fish, 'hotel' (cooked food), hairdressing, second hand clothes, handbags, trousers, sandals and shoes, and general stores.

Over tea we share stories of the hard work and challenges of making a living under tough conditions. There are thousands of kiosks, street vendors, stores, and hawkers in this small city, so the competition can be pretty stiff. And there's not much money to be made for a lot of hard work. That doesn't seem to dampen their enthusiasm, however; they're full of confidence in their businesses and their futures. As the cups of sweet, hot tea are drunk, a mix of English, Swahili, and laughter fills the air.

Only a few of the women are actually from Kisumu; most are displaced from their homes and traditional tribal lands, and therefore have settled here in the city. Tribal loyalties are still evident in the melting-pot of the city, but the collaboration amongst these business women helps to overcome some of those barriers.

Lucy Nanjiru is the chair of the group and runs a 'hotel.' Hotels offer cooked food for take-away or eat-in, although the eat-in space is pretty small. Lucy's place is strategically placed outside a real hotel that doesn't have a restaurant, so there's lots of traffic. It's close to the market, but also on a dead-end street, so there's space for plastic tables and chairs for customers. Started with a loan (now repaid) of close to $1,000, Lucy now employs two others and sells more than fifty pounds of grilled meat each day. The kitchen is primitive and cramped but the food smells good.

Down in the market, Joyce sells used clothes. Every two to four weeks Joyce gets on the bus for the six hour ride to Nairobi to buy a bale of clothes. Weighing well over 100 pounds, the bales are densely compressed bundles of clothes that won't sell at places like Goodwill or Value Village in Canada. Some bales are better than others -- they are sold 'as-is,' without the chance to unpack and see what's inside. Joyce almost always makes a profit, but sometimes it's pretty slim. Because the profit is small and unpredictable, Joyce can't afford a real kiosk, so she pays a very small rental for a place in the market floor -- her store is a tarpaulin spread over the bare ground. Customers and friends come buy and barter for tea-towels, shirts, dresses, pants, drapes, or whatever Joyce has on offer.

Even with the slim profits that they make, each entrepreneur pays back their loans with interest, so that the fund can grow and others can join. As Joyce noted, "If we have the good fortune to be helped by others like the United Church of Canada, then we can give a hand-up to others, so they can have a better life, too."