Kenyan Mother of Seven Triples Her Retail Business Income
Kalobeyei, 7 July 2026
Supported by a local economic initiative, Kenyan widow Akitela Epong successfully tripled her daily retail earnings, securing her seven children’s education and transforming her family’s livelihood.
The Harsh Reality of Turkana County
In the dusty, windsweps landscape of Kalobeyei in Turkana County, Kenya, local residents face significant economic and environmental trials [1]. For 37-year-old Akitela Epong, a Kenyan resident of the Kalobeyei host community, these challenges became incredibly acute after she was widowed in 2022 [1]. Left to provide entirely on her own for her seven children, Epong faced the daunting task of securing basic necessities and funding education for a large household [1]. Two of her children are currently in secondary school, while the other five are pursuing their junior secondary and primary education [1].
The Struggle of a Small-Scale Retailer
To support her family, Epong operated a small retail shop in the local community [1]. However, her earnings were severely constrained by a lack of capital and extremely limited stock [1]. Before receiving external support, her business generated daily sales of just 1,000 to 2,000 Kenyan shillings [1]. Reflecting on this difficult period, Epong recalls, “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” [1]. This low profit margin made it nearly impossible to meet her household’s growing demands [1].
A Lifeline Through Economic Empowerment
A turning point arrived in December 2024, when the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK), in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, intervened through the “Wezesha” project [1]. This economic empowerment initiative was designed to foster self-reliance and social cohesion by supporting a cohort of 25 women selected from both the refugee and local host communities [1][GPT]. As part of this targeted intervention, Epong received in-kind capital goods valued at 50,000 Kenyan shillings to help expand her retail business [1].
Capital Infusion and Skill Building
The financial and material support was bolstered by capacity building [GPT]. Epong and her fellow cohort members participated in an intensive five-day economic empowerment training programme [1]. This training equipped the businesswomen with essential skills in financial literacy, stock management, and customer relations, ensuring they could maximise the impact of their new capital [1][GPT]. This dual approach of combining physical assets with practical business education is widely recognised as a sustainable pathway out of poverty in marginalised regions [GPT].
Remarkable Growth in Daily Revenue
The impact of the capital infusion and training was immediate and transformative [1]. Following the intervention, Epong’s daily sales rose from her previous baseline of 1,000 to 2,000 shillings to a consistent daily turnover of between 3,500 and 4,500 shillings [1]. This represents a minimum daily revenue increase of 250% and a regular maximum daily revenue increase of 125% [1]. On peak business days, her turnover reaches as high as 7,000 shillings, representing an impressive 250% increase over her previous best days [1].
Expanding Beyond Basic Groceries
This dramatic increase in cash flow allowed Epong to strategically diversify her business offerings [1]. With her expanded stock, she moved beyond basic retail goods to sell clothes and shoes, tapping into new and more profitable market segments within Kalobeyei [1]. “Wateja waliongezeka [My customers increased],” Epong shares, explaining how the wider variety of goods drew in more local buyers [1]. This diversification has not only stabilised her daily income but has also made her business far more resilient to market fluctuations [GPT].
Securing the Next Generation’s Future
The ultimate success of Epong’s business expansion is measured by the security and well-being of her seven children [1]. The enhanced daily profits have enabled her to independently fund their education, covering school fees, school uniforms, and necessary learning materials without relying on external charity [1]. By securing her children’s educational pathways, Epong is actively breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty [GPT]. “Kusema kweli, hii imetubadilishia maisha sana [Truly, this has transformed our lives],” she notes with gratitude [1].
A Broader Trend of Climate and Economic Resilience
Epong’s achievement is part of a broader, inspiring trend of women-led economic resilience across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) [GPT]. For instance, in Wajir County, smallholder farmers like Bishara, a mother of two, are similarly adapting to harsh environmental conditions [2]. Supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) in July 2026, Bishara has learned to transition her crops between seasons—growing maize and beans during wet periods and shifting to sorghum and sesame (simsim) when conditions dry out [2]. This adaptive approach allows her to feed her family and process sesame oil for extra income [2].
A Model for Community-Led Growth
Whether through agricultural adaptation in Wajir or retail expansion in Turkana, localised economic interventions are proving highly effective [1][2]. The collaborative spirit of the Wezesha project, which unites refugee and host community women, demonstrates how shared economic goals can foster peace and mutual prosperity in complex humanitarian settings [1][GPT]. For Epong, the support has been nothing short of life-changing, offering a sustainable blueprint for community-led economic development in Kenya [1].