The Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) Phase 1 changed and improved the lives of many participants. Among those people is Evelyne Wanjiru and her daughter, Kelly. Evelyne is a member of the Ushanga Tujijenge Self Help Group, a group of small-scale traders in Eldoret town. The group makes and sells beaded ornaments. Evelyn joined the SLP program between 2023 and 2025, facilitated by The Navigators (EPTF) Kenya Trust. The sessions were practical: developing business ideas, marketing and selling, record keeping, and managing capital.
Evelyn and her daughter decided to apply these lessons to their business. Together, they embraced the discipline of saving, a habit that became the foundation for the change in their business and lives. Evelyne speaks with joy about how she saved just fifty shillings a day, which grew into ten thousand shillings in her bank account. For her, this was more than just numbers; it was a testimony of consistency, resilience, and the courage to apply what she had been taught.
Kelly, inspired by the same lessons, saved enough to move out of her mother’s house to her own place. She now runs her beading business with confidence, secure in her ability to meet her needs. With her savings, she can support her brother, who is now pursuing higher education in Information Science at Kisii University.
Looking back, the last 3 years have helped EPTF achieve some of its objectives alongside those of the SLP project.
