Beating stigma: How project gives women with HIV hope, builds their business resilience
Women Fighting Aids in Kenya (Wofak) CEO Dorothy Onyango and programme officer Leonora Obara during their interview in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
What you need to know:
- Living with HIV and struggling to provide for their children, members often worried about where their next meal would come from.
- Today, their lives have been transformed by the Gender and Entrepreneurship Together (Get) Ahead Programme.
In the compound of a quiet hotel in Naivasha, Nakuru County, a group of women gather under the shade of an acacia tree during a lunch break, their faces etched with a mixture of determination and hope.
They are members of Women Fighting Aids in Kenya (Wofak). The organisation started with the vision of offering support and empowerment to women affected and infected in the face of stigma and discrimination due to HIV/Aids, and finding ways to provide for their families.
Leonora Obara happily scrolls her phone after a heavy lunch. Just five years ago, her life looked different.
One of those affected by HIV and struggling to provide for her children, she often worried about where their next meal would come from. But now she is one of the many women whose lives have been transformed by the Gender and Entrepreneurship Together (Get) Ahead programme.
The project, initiated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in collaboration with United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS) and Unicef in response to Covid-19 provides women with business management and training in skills needed to embark on their entrepreneurial journey.
“For many of us affected or living with HIV, this opportunity has been a lifeline, allowing us to provide for our families and live with dignity, despite the challenges posed by the virus. I have been able to take my children to school and we get at least two nutritious meals every day,” Leonora says, terming it a testament to the power of targeted interventions in transforming lives.
Leonora, who is also a programmes officer at Wofak, and runs a small shop, says the entrepreneurship training is usually interactive, hands-on and encourages participants to draw on their personal experiences and to learn from their peers.
“It usually begins with entrepreneurs generating a business idea and supporting them in developing a solid and viable business plan. The training culminates in entrepreneurs being able to pitch their business idea. Training raises awareness of gender dynamics that have an impact on business development and women’s ability to lead successful enterprises,” she tells Nation.Africa in an interview.
Get Ahead training workshop for entrepreneurs has a duration of five days.
These days can be scheduled over one week, or can be spread out over time, ideally over three months, aiming to address some of the barriers women face in starting and running a business, including lack of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills.
Since its inception in 2021, the project has provided these women with the tools and resources to start small businesses, enabling them to support their families and reclaim their lives.
The programme combines business management training with soft-skills development and includes personalised coaching sessions.
The project, which primarily focuses on women in rural and peri-urban areas, has already made a significant impact.
Through grants of between Sh10,000 and Sh15,000, women have started businesses in tailoring, vegetable selling, and other small-scale enterprises.
In 2021, the ILO trained Wofak members through their women’s groups in business skills and provided business start-up kits with linkage to financial service providers in Kilifi, Nairobi, and Homa Bay counties.
In 2022, the ILO conducted a Training of Entrepreneurs GET) Ahead Toolkit for women entrepreneurs with subsequent follow-up to their businesses amongst the trained groups.
The businesses span different sectors, including clothing and textiles, hair and beauty, food and catering.
One of the success stories from this project is that of Mary Wanjiru (not her real name), a 38-year-old mother of three from Kakamega County.
Mary was diagnosed with HIV in 2015, and her world seemed to collapse. The stigma due to the disease was overwhelming, and she struggled to provide for her children as her health deteriorated.
However, Mary’s life took a turn for the better when she joined the ILO-UNAIDS project in 2022.
With the grant she received, Mary started a small tailoring business. She began by making school uniforms for the children in her village and quickly gained a reputation for her skilled craftsmanship.
Today, her business has expanded, and she now employs two other women, both of whom also live with HIV.
“Before this project, I didn’t know how I would feed my children or send them to school,” Mary says, her voice filled with emotion. “But now, I can provide for them, and we eat two meals a day. This project has given me hope and a reason to keep fighting.”
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Mary and Leonora’s stories are just one among many.
Across Kenya, women living with or affected HIV have been able to start similar businesses, providing them with a steady income and the means to support their families.
In a country where HIV still carries a heavy stigma, these women are not only surviving but thriving, thanks to the opportunities provided by the ILO and UNAIDS.
But despite its successes, the project has not been without challenges.
Wofak founder and executive director Dorothy Onyango explains that cultural barriers have posed significant hurdles to its implementation.
Ms Onyango said that in many rural communities, traditional gender roles and societal expectations limit women’s participation in economic activities.
Also, women, mostly in the rural areas, are often expected to remain at home, caring for their children and performing household chores, rather than engaging in business ventures.
“Moreover, literacy remains a major challenge for many of the women participating in the project. With limited education, some women struggle to manage their businesses effectively, leading to disappointment when income expectations are not met. This has been particularly challenging in the tailoring and vegetable selling enterprises, where market fluctuations and competition can impact earnings,” she says in an interview with Nation.Africa.
To address these issues, the project has incorporated training programmes aimed at improving the women’s business skills. These programmes cover basic financial literacy, marketing strategies, and customer service.
The partnership with ILO creates a multiplier effect, with 15 women from across Wofak membership in Kenya participating in the Training of Trainers workshop.
The Training of Trainers was delivered in collaboration with the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) and the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU-K)
“These women will return home to train other women entrepreneurs living with and affected by HIV,” Ms Onyango says.
A study shows that three years after participating in a GET Ahead training, women entrepreneurs had increased their weekly sales by 18 per cent and their weekly profits by 15 per cent.
However, project coordinators acknowledge that more needs to be done to overcome these barriers and ensure sustainability of the businesses.
“By participating in the GET Ahead training programme, entrepreneurs should have a clear understanding of the gender dimensions of entrepreneurship development, including on how biological differences and societal norms may differentially affect women and men’s ability to engage in entrepreneurship. We’ve seen incredible progress, but there’s still a long way to go,” says ILO Kenya National Project Coordinator Dr Hellen Magutu.
“The women we work with are incredibly resilient, but they face so many challenges, from cultural expectations to health issues. We’re doing everything we can to support them, but it’s not easy. But resilience and determination of these women offer a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when support is given where it is needed most.”
Another significant challenge faced by the project is the health of the women involved. Living with HIV means many participants are vulnerable to opportunistic infections, which can impact their ability to work and manage their businesses.
These health issues, coupled with the physical toll of running a business, often lead to periods of inactivity, which, in turn, affects income stability.
To mitigate these risks, Wofak has partnered with local health organisations to provide regular medical check-ups and ensure the women have access to necessary antiretroviral treatments.
Additionally, some businesses are insured, providing a safety net in case of illness or other unforeseen circumstances.
This insurance coverage has been a crucial component in maintaining the women’s confidence in their ability to run their businesses, knowing that they are protected against potential setbacks.
The impact of the ILO-UNAIDS project extends beyond the individual participants. By empowering these women economically, the project has had a ripple effect on their families and communities.
Anne Okaro from Nairobi’s Umoja area who also lives with HIV says children who once faced the prospect of dropping out of school for lack of funds are now attending classes regularly.
“By providing women living with HIV with the tools and skills they need to succeed, the project has not only improved their economic standing but has also helped break down the barriers of stigma and discrimination,” she says.
Families that struggled to put food on the table are now enjoying regular meals. Importantly, such a project has begun to shift perceptions within the communities where these women live. As they become successful business owners, the stigma surrounding HIV begins to fade.
These women are no longer seen solely through the lens of their illness; they are recognised as entrepreneurs, contributors to the local economy, and role models.
“I used to feel ashamed of my status,” says Lucy Njeri*, another beneficiary who runs a vegetable stall in Nairobi’s Kawangware area.
“But now, people come to me for advice on how to start their own businesses. I feel proud of what I’ve achieved, and I know I’m making a difference in my community.”
As the ILO-UNAIDS project moves into its third year, the focus is on building on the successes achieved so far while addressing the remaining challenges.
There are plans to expand the project to reach more women living with HIV across Kenya, particularly in underserved areas.
This expansion, according to Dr Magutu, will be accompanied by efforts to enhance the training programmes, with a particular focus on financial literacy and business management skills.
Furthermore, the project coordinators are working to strengthen partnerships with local governments and community organisations to ensure the support provided to the women is sustainable.
Trainer Jane Maigua says it includes exploring opportunities for additional funding and resources to help scale the businesses and increase their profitability.
For women like Mary, Leonora and countless others, the project has been a beacon of hope in a challenging world.
“This project has given us more than just money. It’s given us confidence, strength, and the belief that we can overcome anything. We are not just surviving—we are living,” Leonora says.
