By Erick Otieno
In the rural villages of Nyatike South Sub-County, where poverty and limited economic opportunities continue to challenge many families, a small women’s revolving fund is quietly changing lives.
For members of Ochuna Busy Ladies in Kaler Ward, the journey began with KSh40,000 in financial support from the Hitaji Development Initiative, an organisation committed to empowering rural women and girls.
Today, the group’s revolving fund has grown to KSh130,000, with membership also increasing as more women discover the benefits of working together through savings, affordable business loans and mentorship.
The women are among several groups supported by Hitaji across Kaler and Got Kachola wards. Other beneficiary groups include Olando, Mine Nyalo, Arombe, Rapogi and Join Hands, among others.
Hitaji supports legally registered women’s groups with loans at a relatively low interest rate of five per cent, enabling members to start or expand small businesses and improve their household incomes.
For many members of Ochuna Busy Ladies, the support means more than just access to capital. Most of the women are widows who rely on small businesses to provide food, pay school fees and meet other basic needs for their families.
Beyond economic empowerment, the women have embraced football as part of their programme. The groups receive footballs and jerseys and participate in women’s soccer, which provides an opportunity for physical exercise, social interaction and health awareness.
The organisation’s programmes extend beyond women’s economic empowerment. Hitaji also runs public health initiatives focusing on sexual and reproductive health, pregnancy and HIV/AIDS awareness among women and girls.
Its education programme is equally transforming lives, particularly for children from financially disadvantaged families.
Currently, the organisation is sponsoring 15 students in secondary schools and five girls pursuing various university programmes. Another 20 beneficiaries have already graduated and are working in different sectors.
For Form Three student Akinyi Nyamiro of Sota SDA Secondary School, the intervention came at a critical moment in her education journey.
Akinyi, who previously attended Oruba Primary School in Migori town, said her hopes of continuing with education were fading when she completed primary school because her parents could not afford the costs of educating her and her siblings.
“As the fourth-born girl in a family where my siblings are also still going on with their studies, it looked like the end of the road for me,” she said.
Her fortunes changed when Hitaji identified her as a bright but needy student and began supporting her from Form Two.
The organisation has since been paying her school fees and providing the school requirements she needs to continue with her studies.
For Akinyi, the intervention has restored hope and given her a chance to pursue her ambitions.
Hitaji’s Head of Programmes, Victor Charo, said the organisation deliberately targets bright but needy girls from rural communities.
Once a beneficiary is identified and approved, he said, Hitaji seeks to provide comprehensive support throughout her education journey, from secondary school to university.
“We strictly sponsor bright but needy girls. Once such a girl is identified, the programme covers her needs throughout her studies, from secondary school to university,” Charo said.
He said women’s groups are also selected based on their financial needs and their ability to meet the requirements of the programme.
According to Charo, groups must be legally registered through the relevant social services structures before they can qualify for support.
Hitaji Development Initiative is a non-governmental organisation registered in Kenya under the Public Benefit Organisations Act. Founded in 2011, the organisation was established to respond to the challenges facing women and girls in rural Kenya, with a particular focus on Migori County.
The organisation was founded by Asenath Asha Lutabingwa, a Kenyan and daughter of Nyatike who is based in the United States. She established the initiative as part of her desire to give back to her community and contribute to improving the lives of women and girls in her rural home.
Lutabingwa serves as the organisation’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
Through its programmes, Hitaji has built a model that combines economic empowerment, education, health awareness, leadership development, entrepreneurship training, microfinance, revolving funds, partnerships and networking.
The organisation’s reach currently covers Nyatike South Sub-County, particularly Kaler and Got Kachola wards, where its seven community groups continue to benefit from its programmes.
For the women of Ochuna Busy Ladies, the transformation from a KSh40,000 initial fund to a KSh130,000 revolving fund demonstrates what community-based economic empowerment can achieve when women are given access to affordable capital, knowledge and an opportunity to work together.
And for girls such as Akinyi, the organisation represents something even more profound—a second chance at education and a pathway towards a better future.
In communities where financial hardship can easily bring a child’s education to an abrupt end, Hitaji is betting on the power of women’s economic independence and education to transform entire families, one beneficiary at a time.
