“In my culture, a woman has no voice nor does she get education. She is supposed to clean the cattle shed, look after the home and fetch water or firewood,” Umutoni shared with us.
Umutoni, a widow and single mother of two boys is a refugee from Congo who fled to Kenya in 2016. “I used to be a farmer. I never used to go to the market to buy anything. Everything I needed was right there on the farm. But my life has changed,” said Umutoni. In 2019, Umutoni enrolled in RefugePoint’s Business Development Skills training, where she learned how to prepare a business plan and budget, and was given the opportunity to present her business idea. “I wanted to start a business selling cassava leaves, peanut flour and Mawesa (a local cooking oil from Congo).” Umutoni shared with us. A week after completing the training, RefugePoint granted Umutoni KES 31,000 to start her business. “The day I received the grant was the first time I ever held that amount of money in my hands,” Umutoni recalled, laughing. “Truthfully, I did not sleep that night. I put the money under my mattress, thinking it could be stolen. But thankfully, it was not.”
With the business grant, Umutoni was able to buy groundnuts, a grinding machine, cassava leaves and Mawesa. “It had been a long time since I had eaten that food, so I prepared it for my family. That night, I felt as though a new light had come into my home and my life. I was very happy.”
Umutoni has been able to locally source all of the vegetables and raw materials for her business. “Most of my clients are Congolese, Burundians, Rwandese and some Kenyans who now enjoy the delicacy,” Umutoni shared. “In French they say, ‘I feel I am ‘fière’ (proud) of my life now. I’m no longer seeking assistance, I’m confident in my business and now I have my own money. There was a time we couldn’t even afford to buy drinking water, but because of this business I can pay rent, buy my own food, pay school fees for my two children, and take care of my family. My life has really changed and I’m very grateful to RefugePoint and all the staff who helped me along the way.”
As we mark the International Women’s Day, Umutoni encourages other women to have confidence in themselves. “When a woman has her own money, she can give herself anything she needs. She doesn’t rely on anyone else for her needs. She values herself as she’s worth something,” says Umutoni.
Above, Umutoni when she visited RefugePoint Offices in Nairobi. ©RefugePoint/Diana Karua