By RUTH AURA
Thirty women living with disability have defied the odds to become successful entrepreneurs in Mombasa.
Tunaweza Women with Disability, registered as community based organisation, was established in the year 2000.
The group makes a living from tailoring, beadwork, weaving and making natural peanut butter. They have over the years benefitted from government funding through the Women Enterprise Fund.
The group has recently been making reusable sanitary towels and diapers and has distributed over 15,000 pieces across the country.
The saying 'disability is not inability' has never rung truer than the case of the TWD, whose main objective is to run a business and generate sustainable income and advocate for the rights of women with disability in the coastal region.
Chairlady Charity Chahasi said they make jewellery using recycled papers, and bags and clothes using African fabric.
“We also do a lot of weaving of African bags, make natural peanut butter, and also produce reusable diapers and ecological sanitary towels from clothing materials,” she said.
Chahasi said the sanitary towels and diapers are made of kitenge (African fabric) and plastic materials and cotton flannel that is placed inside.
They can be reused for up to three years.
“This project has really benefitted the group because we have a source of income. We are not going into the streets to beg as we can provide for ourselves,” she said.
“Every person who is involved in the making of our products is being paid.”
Chahasi said the project does not only earn them a living but also acts as a therapy to help them live positively with their condition.
For ecological sanitary towels, Chahasi said they get their market through donors who make orders in bulk of 2,000 or even 3,000 and supply to girls in schools.
So far, the group has been able to sell 15,000 sanitary towels.
The group earns from visitors to their business place and from people who buy the displayed products.
At the recent Mombasa agricultural show, Tunaweza had the opportunity to showcase their products which attracted people and they ended up selling products worth Sh30,000 that one week.
“Right now we are in a rental space but our wish is to have our own space and houses where we can live with our families. We have a dream of owning a big industry and machines to make large quantities of peanuts, which will even be supplied to supermarkets,” she said.
Lucy Chesi, the programme coordinator of the group, said they have created self-employment opportunities by providing sewing machines to members.
She said the initiative teaches women with disability technical skills in beadwork and tailoring to become self-sufficient.
“This group first ventured into business with loans they received from the Women Enterprise Fund to purchase sewing machines and other sewing equipment,” she said.
Chesi said they had sought help multiple times without success until they came across Women Enterprise Fund.
They first received a loan of Sh50, 000 but now their loan limit stands at Sh350, 000.
She said the initiative has improved the socio-economic condition of members and in turn the betterment of their families.
Chesi said members now have a pathway to economic empowerment and can support their families financially.
Rose Miriwa, a member, said they weave baskets using recycled plastic bags.
They not only use plastics to make their products but also recycled campaign posters, old newspapers and magazines and the Maasai beads.
“We supply the reusable sanitary towels to schoolgirls in several counties for improved hygiene, school attendance, participation and self-confidence,” she said.
Before Covid-19 struck, they used to make some good money from the sale of their wares, but business was drastically affected during the pandemic.
They used to sell their products in exhibitions and online, through Dada Soko platform. However, Covid-19 affected their business negatively.
Mombasa Women Enterprise Fund coordinator Martin Otindo said they provide accessible and affordable credit to support women to start or expand their businesses.
He encouraged women groups in the county to seek loans from the women's kitty to set up income-generating activities and fight poverty.
Edited by Henry Makori