Partner: Mission to Unreached People (MUPE)
In Eldoret, a sewing co-op will provide women with the skills to earn a dignified income while reclaiming their God-given value. With a portion of proceeds going back into the co-op itself, this self-sustaining model will continuously give more women an opportunity to go through the training program.
In places like Eldoret, Kenya, women are often ignored, silenced, and undervalued. Living in a patriarchal society, men maintain power and women are often subject to abuse and violence. Excluded from household decisions and marginalized in their own communities, many women are trapped in generational cycles of poverty that leave them feeling hopeless and desperate. In many cases, women suffer daily injustices at the hands of their husbands who can be abusive or absent.
THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION
Many women are excluded from the educational systems that would allow them the means to create a new path for their lives. This leaves them without the chance to make a living and often forces them into prostitution. They feel disempowered, unworthy, and ashamed of their stories and are left without other opportunities to care for themselves and their families.
Allowing women to earn an income and contribute to their families financially begins shifting their own perception of themselves, and changes how the community views them as well.
By creating a safe space for women to learn vocational skills, not only are they and their families given the opportunity to economically thrive, but they are also encouraged in their God-given identities as they step into these new gifts.
OUR PLAN
Our plan is to create a sewing co-op for approximately 200 women where they can learn sewing skills in a safe, communal space and also share their stories, ask questions, and lean on each other in times of adversity. This new facility, which is currently underway, will be adjacent to the church building and include a modern kitchen and dining hall where the women can spend time in fellowship with each other. In addition, the women who go through this program will either be given a job at the co-op upon completion, or will be educated on how to start their own businesses. The co-op will also provide counseling and money management services to ensure their holistic growth and development.
As the training program grows, additional classes such as gardening, basket-making, and cooking will be available. The goal is to create a self-sustaining co-op where the women who complete the program can begin working and making an income immediately, rather than having to search externally to find work. In addition, a portion of the co-op’s income will go back into the program to pay for general expenses, building maintenance, and provide scholarships for more women who want to receive training. This allows the program to continue to grow and transform communities for generations to come.
DESIRED IMPACT
Empowering women to pursue their own God-given potential and value is just the first step to helping them reclaim their future. When women work, they reinvest 90% of their income back into their families, compared with just 35% for men. Empowered women transform their homes and communities and are given the chance to flourish in every area of their lives— just as God intended. Ultimately, this project seeks to uplift and transform the next generation of Kenyan women by nurturing their God-given gifts and lifting them out of poverty in a dignified way.
MEASURABLE GOALS
01.
100% of the women who start the training program will finish within six months.
02.
Women participating in the program will be able to find a job or start their own businesses within six months of graduating.
03.
A year after graduating, women will be able to contribute financially to their families and to the program.
04.
Societal attitudes towards women will change in the community, starting with the women themselves and the men around them.