She Built It Herself: Agnes’s Journey from Survival to Sustainability

In the hills of Busoro, there lives a woman whose hands once trembled from uncertainty but now mold possibility into purpose. Agnes, a mother of four, spent years struggling to survive on irregular farm wages—earning less than $1.50 a day, often working under harsh conditions just to feed her children.

Her life changed when she joined NIDI’s Women’s Entrepreneurship & Skills Training Program in early 2024.

For eight weeks, Agnes was trained in how to make organic soaps and herbal salves using locally available ingredients like aloe vera, lemongrass, and sunflower oil. She also received coaching in pricing, bookkeeping, branding, and how to sell at the market. With small grants from NIDI and a micro-loan from a women’s SACCO group, Agnes purchased her first set of molds and packaging.

Today, Agnes produces over 150 bars of soap per month, supplying two trading centers and receiving custom orders from nearby towns.

“This program didn’t just give me a skill—it gave me back my dignity,” she shared. “Now, my children go to school with shoes on their feet, and I feel proud.”

Agnes has also trained three other women in her village, and together they are forming a Women’s Cooperative to scale production and reach new markets. This ripple effect is exactly what NIDI aims to spark—where one empowered woman becomes the catalyst for a village-wide transformation.

Her story is a beacon of what’s possible when opportunity meets resilience.

💛 You can help another woman rewrite her story. Sponsor a participant in our next training cohort today. [Click here to give. .💛