Agriculture & Microenterprise Development

Success Story

Crossing Gender Barriers To Earn A Living

Halima Mwasalimu a beneficiary of USAID Kenya's Food Security Program (PL480 Title II) tells her story

Born to a Digo family of Muslim faith in Kenya’s Kwale district, Halima Mwasalimu, now 32 years old, strove to improve her life by putting herself through school. Early marriage and pregnancy deferred her schooling efforts, but she later graduated from college as an Agricultural Assistant. After failing to secure employment, Halima resigned herself to a housewife role. Her fortunes changed however, when the USAID PL 480 Title II – funded Heifer International Kenya (HPI/K) expanded its dairy development program to her home district, loaning heifers to women’s groups and training them in animal husbandry, business management and bookkeeping. Halima was trained to spray animals against major disease vectors in cattle, and loaned a spray pump, protective kits and half liter acaricides, embarking on a traditionally man’s business. Her average monthly income from the spraying services was Ksh. 3600 (U.S. $ 46). She had also received a heifer from the program through the women group she belonged to. The heifer calved down and started producing over 11 liters of milk daily, of which 2 liters were for family consumption and 9 liters were sold for Ksh. 300 (U.S. $ 3.85) per day.  She saved enough money from her spraying business and income from the cow to start a poultry business. She bought the first batch of 100 day old broiler chicks, which earned her a total of Ksh 10,000 (U.S. $ 128). Since then, Halima has progressively gained more experience and confidence to continue with the business as follows:

By August of 2003, Halima had succeeded to service her spraying equipment loan of Ksh 7,200 (U.S. $ 90) to HPI/K. After the repayment, she was advanced another loan of Ksh 50,000 (U.S. $ 625) in September 2003 so as to expand her poultry business. She used part of the money to put up another poultry house worth Ksh 20,000 (U.S. $ 250) and added more stock of broiler chicks. After the expansion, she is currently able to sell 150 broilers weekly, enabling her to earn a net profit of Ksh 13,000 (U.S. $ 162.5) on weekly basis. With the regular income circulation from her poultry business, her husband, Daudi Mwova, has quit his meagre-income casual employment to help her. They have both been able to open savings accounts with Post Bank. So far, Halima has saved KSh. 20,000 (U.S. $ 250) in her account while her husband has saved KSh. 10,000 (U.S. $ 125). Halima has repaid her second loan of KSh. 16,000 (U.S. $ 200) to the program. Another achievement she is proud of is the fact that three neighbours have also adopted the chicken rearing business from her advice.

Halima and Daudi are now a happy family with their four children. They have put two of their children in a private primary school and have not had any problem paying their school fees of Ksh. 2,800 (U.S. $ 35) per term and all related expenses. They intend to put the other two children in the same private school. The family’s diet has improved as confirmed by the health of the children. Halima is not shy to say that her husband now has time with the family, unlike in the past when he was constantly absent from the household, and bringing back very little income from his casual employment, which could not meet the family’s demands.

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