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Kithimani Schoolchildren

Once surviving, now thriving

Two years ago the people of Kithimani were subsistence farmers. Today they run profitable businesses growing maize, beans, oranges and mangoes; rearing chickens, goats and sheep; or running groceries and other shops. The money they earn is the difference between going to bed hungry and feeding their families three healthy meals a day, or watching their children crash out of school early versus paying secondary schools fees they previously couldn’t afford.

But the transformation hasn’t stopped in the home. Kithimani’s entrepreneur class is hiring its neighbours and boosting the local economy through increased spending. It’s also putting money aside at unprecedented rates, with average annual savings among Hand in Hand trainees topping US $100. Poor yields and unexpected hospital bills will never disappear in rural Kenya, but for the people of Kithimani, at least, the threat they pose will no longer be existential.

Voices from the community

Magdalene at home

Magdalene, poultry farmer and vegetable shop owner

Two years ago, Magdalene was a housewife with a small kiosk outside her home. Her monthly income was just US $20 a month, barely enough to feed her family one basic meal of maize and vegetables every day. Today, after completing Hand in Hand’s training, she earns US $150 a month rearing chickens and selling vegetables from her expanded shop.

“The training has given me skills, but most importantly it has changed my attitude. Today, my customers come from all over the village and beyond. I even use my mobile phone to secure orders for eggs and chickens from small hotels in the area. When before I would struggle to earn any income at all in the dry season, now that I have diversified beyond vegetables and fruit, I earn money all year round,” she says.

“I choose to spend my income on my children’s school fees to make sure they grow up to be responsible and successful people.”

Stella on her farm

Stella, farmer

“When Kelvin told me that farming can be a profitable business I did not believe him! Hand in Hand opened my eyes and suddenly I could see so many untapped resources which I could turn into a business.

“Now that I farm vegetables and rear chickens, I earn around Ksh 12,000 (USD $112) as profit a month. I also employ two part-time workers from my community to tend to my farm and deliver my produce to market. I am lucky that my daughter can now go to a private school. This means she doesn’t miss out on learning because teachers in private school don’t strike like they do in the public schools.”

What happens next

The limited duration of Hand in Hand’s programmes is a defining characteristic of our work. Our aim is to help members help themselves, empowering them to break the cycle of dependency through their own nous and hard work. And so, after two years, we say goodbye.

At this point, we’re no longer needed.

More than 90 percent of members have started businesses that employ at least one person for at least 24 hours a week. Group leaders have the skills and confidence to tap markets outside Kithimani without Kelvin’s support. And a Village Development Committee (pictured) has been established to support members’ continued development.

But if the people of Kithimani have worked their way from subsistence to success, millions more in villages across Kenya could still benefit from our training. To learn more about how you can help, please contact Joe Dyson (details below).