Posted: September 30, 2025
Olga Atieno will be among thousands of students graduating from the university this December with a bachelor’s degree in English and Literature. Her journey to graduation has had its share of challenges.
Olga joined the university in 2013, but in 2016, she had to pause her studies due to a lack of school fees. She sought employment and was hopeful she could eventually return to finish her degree. For several years, she worked in sales for different companies, saving toward her education. Unfortunately, in January 2024, she lost her job and quickly felt the weight of Kenya’s high unemployment rates.
A turning point occurred in May 2024, when a friend invited her to participate in entrepreneurship training sessions with EPTF. These sessions target small business owners who often start ventures to meet daily needs rather than solve larger problems. EPTF equips them with practical skills such as how to start and run a business, keep records, and understand profit margins in order to grow sustainable enterprises.
“I was in a season of discouragement when I met EPTF,” Olga recalls. “In the initial sessions on how to start a business, the trainer shared that you do not need so much initial capital to begin. Because of my background as a literature student and my love for children’s education, I decided to start with what I had.”
Olga had been saving through a Self-Help group. After losing her job in January 2025, she began offering informal cleaning services to households. She had no equipment, but she was determined to save every little she earned. Those savings, combined with loans from family and friends, provided her with sufficient capital to open a daycare in the local church premises in June 2025. She is repaying her loan and hopes to clear it by November 2025.
Currently, she has about 16 children in the daycare and has already expanded to accommodate children in the playgroup stage. “I now know how to keep my records and invest in the business,” she says.
The unemployment rate in Kenya for youth aged 15–34 stands at 67 per cent, according to the Federation of Kenya Employers. This means most graduates will transition into a workforce that cannot absorb them. Olga’s story highlights how entrepreneurship can provide a sustainable solution, turning discouragement into opportunity and creating new pathways for young people to thrive.