Women in our fourth Hope for Widows cohort have been busy since receiving their training last summer. Let’s take a look at how what they’ve learned has impacted their businesses and contributed to their success.
Group 4 Widows Update
Since their Goats & Grants Ceremony at the end of June, Group 4 widows have bought stock for their stores and made beautiful beadwork to sell. They spent the $150 grants they received and now are managing the profits from their businesses. They’ve also been busy keeping their three goats (two females and one male) healthy and happy.
The Risa Widows have tapped into the nearby tourist market, so their businesses have been robust and diversified. Meanwhile, the Meshenani Widows, who have fewer tourists, have been selling goods locally. While their methods may differ, most of the women are finding their footing, taking steps each day to improve their lives.
Since starting their businesses, the average monthly income of the widows has more than doubled—with three out of the top five earners (among 70 women in Groups 3 and 4) coming from Group 4. Those top performers have earned an average of 13,000 Kenyan Shillings (about $100 USD) per month.
Before they received their training and grants, Group 4’s average income was about $21. In July, after the Goats & Grants Ceremony, that income increased to about $49. In August, the average throughout the group was $64. This upward trend shows just how much these women learned from their training. Their earnings have increased, their savings have increased, and their lives are getting better and better.
Room to Grow and Improve
We constantly monitor participants on the progress of their businesses and the impact it’s having on their lives, then we suggest improvements. One such improvement is mitigating risk.
This time, two widows received the grant and goats at the ceremony then disappeared. In the future, we may change the order of the program so that we award only the cash grant at the beginning, observe how they use their grants, and determine if they demonstrate a commitment to improve. When they show good progress, we can award goats at the time of the second grant. We strive to ensure that participants get the most benefit while optimizing the use of donor funds.
A change we’ve seen among the widows is that, to prepare for the new school year in January 2026, they are increasing their savings. Risa women started a savings group and are earning money by giving loans with interest. In December, they divided the principal and interest in time to pay for school expenses.
We also have many reports of home improvements being made: women are purchasing new beds, materials towards building new houses, and chairs. The women are happy that they have businesses which keeps their children in school and help them afford clothes and school supplies. They have a way to manage their families now.
More Good News to Come
We’ve teamed up with the University of Pennsylvania’s Clinical Research Collaboration Unit (CRCU) to support WILK’s internal data system, which collects data from participants through questionnaires. This data helps us understand the impact of donations and the effectiveness of our programs.
Dr. Richard Landis headed this department, which is part of the Perelman School of Medicine, for most of it’s 20-year history. The collaboration, which officially began this month, involves formalizing our data collection and analysis process for the Hope for Widows program. The result will be a deeper understanding of the impact this program has on the lives of participants and their families over the long-run.
We are grateful to Dr. Landis and our new partners at the CRCU for offering their expertise to help us better understand those we serve in Kenya. Stay tuned for information about ways to support this effort.
