“I can depend on myself, unlike before, when I had to depend on help. Now, when I make my bags, hawk and sell them for as low as Ksh.200, the money is mine,” Pascasia shared with us during a visit to her home in Nairobi, Kenya.
Pascasia is a resilient mother and grandmother who has lived in Nairobi for over 20 years. Having fled the Rwandan conflict in 1994, Pascasia and her husband sought refuge in Tanzania before arriving in Nairobi in 1997.
Pascasia opened a small charcoal business to sustain her family but later shifted to weaving sisal baskets, a more profitable but labor-intensive craft. In 2010, she got an opportunity to learn sewing at the Kivuli Center, where she honed her skills in designing aprons, mittens, and bags using vibrant African fabrics.
After a year, Pascasia completed her training and used her savings to purchase a sewing machine. She had identified a gap in the market for unique, high-quality African fabric school bags and pouches and set out to fill it. Despite running her business, Pascasie and her family still struggled to meet their basic needs.
In 2022, Pascasia met RefugePoint through a RefugePoint Community Navigator who referred her case for assistance. With RefugePoint’s support, Pascasia and her family received counseling, food assistance, medical care, and livelihood support, which included business training and a small grant.
“The grant helped me overcome challenges. I used the grant to repay my loan in the chama, (women’s savings group) and purchase more supplies. Now, I’m able to stand on my own. Right now, I’m not in a bad state. I can’t complain. I’m not where I was,” Pascasia shared.
Pascasia has expanded her business to include selling homemade peanut butter. Her hard work and innovation have made her self-sufficient and transformed her into a mentor for other women. Pascasia often helped her classmates correct their sewing mistakes and gain confidence, guiding them toward independence. “When I meet them [Kivuli Center trainees I helped] on the road with bags that they have made, I just feel happy…I am proud because I helped these people learn to depend on themselves,” Pascasie shared.