The 34-year-old Beatrice Nyeri County, Kenya, has borne the weight of financial hardship for years having been raised in a family with limited means. She depended on small-scale farming and casual labour, such as washing other people's clothes and doing odd jobs, to provide for her two daughters. Despite all her efforts, the income was inconsistent and barely enough to cover their basic needs. It was a daily struggle to put food on the table and pay her children's school fees.
"I worked hard every day, but it felt like I was just surviving, not living. My children often lacked what they needed, and that broke my heart," Beatrice recalls.
One day, a friend introduced her to World Vision's Savings for Transformation (S4T) group called Grow in One. She joined the group in 2023 and started saving small amounts, gradually building shares that enabled her to access loans from VisionFund, the financial inclusion arm of World Vision.
Eventually, she also received the Empowered World View training, which helped change her dependence mindset and inspired her to start farming as a business.
"It changed how I saw myself," Beatrice says.
Beatrice then began investing in poultry farming, starting with a few chickens. After taking out a loan from VisionFund Kenya, she later expanded to 100 chickens.
Through the Transforming Household Resilience in Vulnerable Communities (THRIVE 2030), an integrated programme by World Vision and VisionFund that empowers parents economically to break the cycle of poverty, she also received hands-on training in all aspects of poultry management, including vaccination, feeding, and housing.
She also learned the different aspects of financial management, including business planning, recordkeeping, and marketing her products to customers. And she did not stop there. She also started sharing her knowledge of the poultry business with other women in her S4T group.
Today, Beatrice's farm has grown into a thriving business of more than 600 chickens. Every day, she sells trays of eggs at the local market, bringing in a steady monthly income of about KES 26,000 ($200). She also supplies at least 200 chicks monthly to local farmers, earning an additional KES 39,000 ($300), and continues to offer training services, positioning herself well as a producer and trainer. Altogether, she now earns five times as much as she did from odd jobs, giving her a stable, diversified income. This allows her to provide nutritious food for her children and consistently pay their school fees, ensuring they won't endure the hardships she once faced.
"Now, I see my farm as a real business enterprise," she says with pride. "I don't just sell eggs, I build customer relationships, keep records, and plan for growth."
In the future, Beatrice dreams of expanding her poultry enterprise into a specialised hatchery that will supply chicks and fertilised eggs not just in her village but also in neighbouring towns. With determination and vision, she is already laying the groundwork for the next stage of growth.
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