Meet Ms. Aisha, (not her real name) a 28 yrs single Somali refugee mother of three children, (two daughters and one son) aged eight, six and four years respectively who resides in Garissa. She is a survivor of gender-based violence which she suffered for more than five years in the hands of her ex-husband. “Life was miserable; I was constantly assaulted by my husband which led to divorce due to the trauma and depression I was undergoing. After the divorce, my children were taken from me by my husband and their family and I was denied any access to them. According to Somali culture, children belong to the husband. My children are everything. I was devastated. I really wanted my children back. It is during this time that I came to know about the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK). Having been told that they fight for the rights of vulnerable women and girls in the community, I decided to join the End Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) project in order to get help in getting custody of my children.
I joined the VAWG project in 2020, and the first service I got was counselling since I was going through depression. I also got support from the RCK lawyers who helped me get back the custody of my children through the court. I was also in need of financial support to start a business. This is because I was living with my grandmother in deplorable conditions where we could hardly afford basic needs like housing, clothing, food and education for my children. I mainly depended on well-wishers for food, clothing and rent for the small shanty house we were living in. Through the project, I got enrolled in an economic empowerment program where I received training on business skills and business management for three weeks. After the training, through the economic empowerment consultant, I put together a business plan of a cosmetic shop. The plan was approved by RCK and in August 2020, I got in-kind stock worth Ksh 45,000 and also received Ksh 5000 from RCK to transport the goods to the place where I would run the business from. Since I did not have any money to rent a house to conduct the business, I operated the shop from an open makeshift (kibanda). I was focused and through hard work, I got enough profit to rent a bigger shop which is in a safe and secure place. Through this business, I have managed to sustain a profit of Ksh 50,000 per month. I have also diversified in other products such as clothes, soft drinks, gas cooking cylinders and water plastic containers. I am also able to secure wedding preparation contracts where I do bride makeups through henna application.
I have achieved a lot in this business. I can afford my children education, basic needs and rent for a three-bedroom self-contained house which I pay Ksh 15,000 per month. My business is now worth Ksh 200,000 and continues to grow. My biggest challenge is getting a business permit from the county government since I experience constant harassment from the county officers. I would wish to seek more support from RCK to assist me in registering my business to get a business permit. My appreciation goes to the VAWG project team who stood by me, helped me fight for my rights to get custody of my children as well as supported me to start a business”.
