Africa’s economic story is often told through the language of GDP, foreign investment, infrastructure and large corporations. Yet a significant part of the continent’s economic activity happens on a much smaller scale, in businesses started and run by women. From food processing and agriculture to retail, hospitality, manufacturing, professional services and technology, women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are already contributing significantly to Africa’s ec

I went from not having food to making Ksh 12,000 a day.

Amina runs a small restaurant in Kilifi. Her main customers are the men who work at a nearby quarry; they come in tired, dusty, hungry. She knows what they want before they sit down. She has been feeding this community for years, out of a small kitchen she built with her own hands and her own savings. A year ago, that kitchen was everything she had. Today, Amina has expanded. A mud structure now stands alongside the original kitchen, a proper sitting space where her customers

There is a woman in Karanjee, Nairobi, who has been running a grocery stall for years. She opens before the neighborhood wakes. She knows which customers will pay on time and which ones she will have to chase. She knows which days are slow and which days she can restock. She has kept this business alive while still paying school fees and medical bills and the particular mathematics of a household that never quite adds up. Ask her how much profit she made last month. She will

What does poverty actually look like, up close? It looks like a woman who knows exactly what she is capable of, and has nowhere to put it. It looks like potential with no pathway. Intelligence with no invitation. It is not a lack of ambition. It is a lack of access. And then, sometimes, a classroom door opens. Across East Africa, something is shifting. The EASTRIP programme has tracked female TVET graduate employment rising from 51% to 74%. Read that again slowly, not as a st

As Kenya celebrates 63 years of self-governance this Madaraka Day, we reflect on a journey marked by resilience, growth, and the pursuit of greater opportunities for all. At Kianda Foundation, this national celebration carries special significance. Our story began in 1961, before Kenya was declared a republic, and for nearly 65 years we have witnessed the profound transformation of our nation and its people. Madaraka, meaning self-governance and the power to determine one's f

Every day, women across Nairobi and its surrounding areas wake up carrying dreams that deserve more than just encouragement. They carry ideas for businesses, for communities, for futures, but often lack the structured support, practical skills, and safe space needed to bring those dreams to life. If you've been searching for women's entrepreneurship training in Nairobi, you're not alone. And you've found the right place. Fanikisha class in session At the Kianda Foundation, we

In Kenya, a single medical emergency can tip the balance between stability and total destitution for many families. According to the 2025/26 Health Sector Report and the KNBS 2025 Economic Survey, catastrophic health expenditures push over a million Kenyans into poverty each year. Despite the rollout of the Social Health Authority (SHA), the high costs of specialized referrals and long-term rehabilitation remain significant challenges. Stephen’s story illustrates this issue v

“Give to gain.”It sounds simple. Almost transactional. But for many women especially our mothers giving has never been about receiving something in return. It has been about love. Duty. Hope. Survival. Across homes, villages, and cities, mothers are the original givers. They give their time waking up before everyone else, sleeping long after the house has gone quiet. They give their energy working in homes, in farms, in markets, in offices, often without pause.They give their