WOMEN BUSINESS HUB -ADVOCACY ALLIANCE CONSORTIUM

Along the Lake Victoria region , young women are transforming their place in the fishing economy—from consumers and informal traders to investors, business partners, and decision-makers. Through the Women Business Hub , young women along Lake Victoria region are pooling their resources via SACCO savings and loan schemes to buy shares and stocks in the fishing industry. Equipped with training in cooperative investment and business ownership, they are moving steadily up the investment ladder and building a more secure economic future. Their investments are also enabling male fish mongers to access resources for fish gauging and other business needs, creating stronger, more mutually beneficial partnerships across the value chain . Rather than relying solely on fishermen to supply fish for resale, young women are now participating directly in the ownership and financing of the industry. This shift is changing long-standing power dynamics. For decades, many women working around Lake...

Across Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) in Kenya , young women are increasingly turning challenges into opportunities, creativity into enterprise, and ideas into pathways for employment. With determination and a willingness to learn, Young women are discovering that entrepreneurship is not simply about starting a business—it is about identifying problems within their communities and developing practical solutions that create value for others. Through collaboration, mentorship, digital skills, innovation, and peer learning, Women Business Hub is working with young women to explore new ways of earning a living and creating jobs. Many young women are developing enterprises around agriculture and value addition; others are embracing digital businesses , creative industries, retail, services, fashion, food processing, and locally available resources. What connects them is a shared belief that their communities have both challenges to solve and opportunities to unlock. At Women Busines...

Across the villages of Western Kenya , a profound transformation is underway. For generations, indigent households depended on aid handouts to survive. Today, through Village Savings and Loan Schemes nurtured within the ecosystem of Inua Village SACCO , women and youth are charting a new path — one defined by dignity, resilience, and sustainable trade. Atieno, a widowed mother of four from Siaya, embodies this shift. Just three years ago, she struggled daily to feed her children, waiting for donor support that often arrived too late. Through her local savings group, supported by Women Business Hub , she began pooling small contributions with other women. With access to affordable loans, she launched a vegetable stall. Today, Atieno not only feeds her children and pays school fees but also mentors other women to join savings groups. Her journey reflects a broader revolution: women are becoming entrepreneurs, leaders, and agents of change, moving their communities from aid dependency...

In the villages of Western Kenya , women are rewriting their future through Village Savings and Loan Schemes . What began as small groups pooling coins in lockable boxes has grown into powerful engines of change. These schemes, strengthened by Domestic Resource Mobilization , are helping women move beyond survival into thriving livelihoods. Mary, a farmer from Vihiga , recalls how she once depended on food aid during drought seasons. Today, she is part of a savings group that allows her to borrow small loans to buy drought-resistant seeds . With better harvests, she not only feeds her family but also sells surplus maize in the local market. “I no longer wait for handouts,” she says proudly. “I trade, I earn, and I save.” Inua Village SACCO : Anchoring Sustainable Finance Behind these stories is Inua Village SACCO , which has become a backbone for women-led savings groups. By linking informal VSLs to formal cooperative structures, the SACCO is creating a sustainable financial ecosys...

Intergenerational dialogue among women is a dynamic and transformative approach that bridges the gap between generations. It creates safe spaces where younger women learn from the lived experiences of older women, while older women gain fresh perspectives from the aspirations and energy of the younger generation. This exchange is not only preparing young women for leadership but also equipping older women to challenge myths and misconceptions that perpetuate gender-based violence (GBV). Preparing Younger Women for Leadership Mentorship and role modelling : Older women share practical lessons from their leadership journeys, offering guidance that helps younger women navigate barriers in governance, business, and community service. Confidence and resilience : Dialogue instils courage, enabling younger women to step into decision-making spaces with conviction. Access to networks : Intergenerational platforms connect young women to establis...

Across Counties in The Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) and similar contexts, women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) remain at the margins of financial systems, constrained by limited access to credit, weak saving culture, and low financial literacy . Yet, these groups represent the backbone of community resilience and innovation. Unlocking their potential requires a deliberate shift: mobilizing domestic resources to strengthen inclusive financial systems. Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM) is not simply about raising funds locally; it is about building ownership, sustainability, and resilience. By channeling community savings, cooperative contributions, and local taxes into inclusive financial products and services, DRM creates pathways for marginalized groups to thrive. ·        Local savings mobilization empowers women, youth, and PWDs to access affordable credit, reducing dependency on external aid and predatory lenders. ·  ...