We are K-MEGA, a social enterprise based in Kakamega, western Kenya. Our key objective is to eliminate chronic poverty amongst the local informal, or jua kali sector. We aim to achieve this by partnering with self help groups and associations, and investing in the skills, training and understanding required to then launch collaborative business ventures. As a social enterprise we are committed to
self-sufficiency, and believe that by investing in local markets and social business opportunities in the communities where we work, we should be able to raise the majority of the funding we require to operate. Where is Kakamega, and what is it like? Kakamega is a town in western Kenya and is the capital of Kakamega County. It’s a fairly typical example of a medium sized East African town, with a population of around 100,000. The wider Kakamega County is the second largest in Kenya by population, being home to around 1.7m people, and is supported largely by both cash crop (sugar cane) and subsistence agriculture. The majority of families (around 85%) earn the large part of their household income from the land, which, as the population balloons and family plots are divided and divided again, is becoming an increasingly precarious way of life. As well as agriculture, most families are also involved in some way with the informal economy. Boda Boda (bicycle and motorbike taxi drivers), market traders, welders, mechanics, street hawkers, food vendors, herbalists, painters, newspaper sellers, miraa pushers, booksellers, clothes makers, clothes sellers. The list goes on. This is a town full of entrepreneurs, a town full of people working creatively every day, getting by and putting food on the table. There is no state welfare provision in Kakamega, no safety net. Around half of the population are living on less than $1.25 per day. Roughly the same number are classified as living in ‘food poverty’ - that is, they are unable to source sufficient calorific and nutritional load to meet their daily basic needs. Unemployment amongst the youth (those under 35) stands at around 40%. In November 2015, prior to the launch of K-MEGA, we spent two months talking to people in the town about their lives. For many, the data we gathered paints a picture of hard work with little reward, and of grinding subsistence level poverty. We asked people what they felt were the key measures that could change their prospects, and 80% of the 460 people we spoke to highlighted financial training, business development skills or access to affordable micro finance as key. At K-MEGA we are setting about meeting those needs. As such, we are currently working with our first partner organisation, running an initial training programme on financial accounting and micro enterprise financial management. We are also in discussions with this group about collaborative business opportunities and are expecting to formally partner with them in business very soon. K-MEGA is a new organisation. We are youthful and nimble, and recognise that we have a lot to learn and that we have a long way to go. Right now we are laying the foundations for success. Our model offers a new way of thinking about transforming the lives of the global poor, by distancing ourselves from the grant funding paradigm and insisting that our beneficiaries and ourselves play by the same rules. There are no handouts at K-MEGA, only a commitment to working together. Our growth depends on the growth of our partnerships and the success of our joint ventures and, every decision we make is focused on our key objectives and on sound business practices. Because of this we are confident that we are on the road to demonstrating a new pathway out of poverty for the people of Kenya. Check out our Facebook wall and our Twitter handle to see what’s happening this week, or if you’d like an in depth discussion please contact us at [email protected]
