The goal of Maisha’s Economic Empowerment Project is to provide the resources necessary for Maisha Orphans and Widows (Kenya’s on-ground operations) to work towards sustainability, giving back to their own projects. Through strategic investments in social enterprises, they’ll be able to diversify their income sources and support the work of Maisha locally while creating employment opportunities. The vision is to have a hopeful, independent, thriving village.
This began successfully on a small scale through table banking, providing micro-finance loans for individuals to implement income-generating projects and discuss better business methods. Members quickly multiplied their initial seed funding and continued to grow the funding pool, offering larger loans to those with successful records. Partners invested in sewing machines, bore hole equipment, tuk-tuk’s and other endeavors.
To bring sustainability, a strategy and business plan has been created to launch the following three enterprises. The pilot phase of each business will begin in 2017/2018 and begin to yield returns from the first year which will go back into growing the business.
These three endeavors were chosen to bring us closer to food, water and economic security. The mission of Economic Empowerment is to promote social enterprises for Maisha’s sustainability and youth socio-economic empowerment, which creates the platform for peacebuilding.
Visit the economic empowerment village hut across the hall to learn more and sow a seed into the startups.
DAIRY ENTERPRISE
$9,500 Startup Cost
$10,400 Net Income by 2021
Begins with two 2nd-3rd generation cross bred, drought resistant dairy cows. Milk will be used in the feeding project, eliminating project expenses, with the surplus being sold. Animal waste will be utilized in Horticulture and converted to bio-gas to save energy in the kitchen. Will work in coordination with the Ministry of Livestock on good animal husbandry training, extension support and quality assurance.
HORTICULTURE
$8,500 Startup Cost
$1,271 Net Income by 2019 Tomatoes and kale will be grown through greenhouse and low-head drip irrigation technology. Produce will be used in the feeding project, eliminating project expenses, with the surplus being sold. 10% of net proceeds will be tithed to the local church and a portion of revenue will be used to train local youth in peacebuilding to reduce the occurrence of recruitment by politicians to stir up political violence. The site will also be used for training community farmers and youth interested in farming as a business working in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture.
COMMUNITY WATER PROJECTS
$22,000 Startup Cost
$19,000 Net Income by 2019
This investment in creating a community water utility builds capacity and secures clean water for future generations. The local water table is low and the per capita water resource in Kenya, a water scarce country, is projected to fall 2/3 by 2025. Waterborne diseases are a top contributing cause of illness and death. The high cost of water treatment chemicals and long walks to water points are problematic. Two kiosks would be built, one in the village and one in the Nyalenda support area to supply badly needed clean water in convenient locations for a nominal charge.