Widow's Daily Income Triples After Business Training in Turkana County
Kalobeyei, 16 March 2026
Akitela Epong’s transformation from earning 1,000 shillings daily to up to 7,000 shillings demonstrates remarkable economic empowerment success in Kenya’s challenging northern region.
From Tragedy to Determination
In the dusty landscape of Kalobeyei, where the host community and refugee settlements coexist, Akitela Epong’s story begins with profound loss [1]. The 37-year-old mother of seven children faced an overwhelming challenge when her husband died in 2022, leaving her as the sole provider for her large family [1]. “Mimi bwanangu aliaga mwaka wa 2022, nikaachwa na watoto saba ambao wananitegemea (my husband passed away in 2022, and I was left with seven children who depend on me),” Akitela explains [1]. Operating a small shop in the Kalobeyei host community, she struggled to generate sufficient income to support her household’s basic needs [1].
The Struggle for Economic Survival
Before receiving support, Akitela’s business generated minimal returns, creating a cycle of financial hardship that threatened her family’s wellbeing [1]. Her daily sales ranged between just 1,000 and 2,000 shillings, yielding extremely small profits due to limited stock availability [1]. “Kabla ya kupata msaada, mapato kutoka kwa mauzo ya duka yalikuwa chini sana (Before I received support, the income from my shop sales was very low). Nilikuwa nikiuza vitu vya shilingi 1,000 hadi 2,000 kwa siku. Faida ilikuwa ndogo sana. Hii ilisababishwa na kwamba sikuwa na vitu vingi, stock yangu ilikuwa ndogo (I used to sell between 1,000 and 2,000 shillings per day. The profit was very small. This was because I didn’t have many goods, my stock was limited),” she recalls [1]. This situation was particularly challenging given the broader food security crisis affecting the region, where approximately 60% of residents in refugee settlements like Kalobeyei face crisis or worse food insecurity conditions [2].
Economic Empowerment Through Training
Akitela’s fortunes changed when she was selected alongside 24 other women to participate in an economic empowerment training programme under the Wezesha project, implemented by the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK) in partnership with the IKEA Foundation [1]. The comprehensive training covered essential business fundamentals including opportunity identification, financial management, market analysis, and growth planning strategies [1]. This intervention came at a critical time, as Kenya faces widening food insecurity with the number of counties under crisis-level food insecurity tripling from three to nine as of February 2026, including Turkana County where Kalobeyei is located [2]. The training programme represents a targeted approach to building economic resilience within vulnerable communities facing multiple challenges.
Remarkable Business Transformation
The impact of the training became tangible in December 2024 when RCK provided Akitela with in-kind capital goods worth 50,000 Kenyan shillings [1]. “RCK walinipea usaidizi wa capital goods za dhamana ya shilingi 50,000 (RCK gave me support with capital goods worth 50,000 shillings). Hii iligeuza biashara yangu pakubwa sana (This transformed my business tremendously),” Akitela states [1]. The results were immediate and substantial: her daily sales increased dramatically from the previous range of 1,000 shillings to between 3,500 and 4,500 shillings, with peak days reaching 7,000 shillings [1]. This represents an increase of at least 250% in her minimum daily earnings [1]. “Wateja waliongezeka (My customers increased). Na ile pesa nilikuwa nikiuza kwa siku ikaongezeka. Kwa sasa nauza kutoka shilingi 3,500 hadi 4,500 kwa siku. Wakati mwingine nauza hata 7,000 (and the money I used to make per day increased. Now I sell between 3,500 and 4,500 shillings per day. Sometimes I even sell up to 7,000),” she explains [1].
Expanding Opportunities and Future Investment
The increased capital allowed Akitela to diversify her business beyond basic goods, expanding to include clothes and shoes, which broadened her customer base and revenue streams [1]. More importantly, the enhanced income has enabled her to invest in her children’s education, with two children now attending secondary school whilst she can afford uniforms and books for her younger children [1]. This educational investment represents a crucial long-term strategy for breaking cycles of poverty and building generational wealth. Akitela’s success story demonstrates the effectiveness of targeted livelihood interventions in creating sustainable economic opportunities, particularly relevant given projections that approximately 3.7 million people will experience high levels of acute food insecurity between April and June 2026 [2]. Her transformation illustrates how economic empowerment programmes can provide practical solutions to the complex challenges facing communities in Kenya’s northern regions, where forecasts predict below-average long rains and weak harvest prospects will continue to deepen the crisis [2].