After losing her job during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Mercy Nkirote spent several years as a housewife, feeling isolated and financially dependent on her husband. Her life took a new turn in January 2025 when a friend encouraged her to join the Kyeni Kya Ngumbe Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) group in Kibwezi.

Through the group, Mercy gained not only financial support but also social connection. With a small loan, she started a car wash business, investing in building materials, a car washing machine, and even creating employment for a young man. Alongside this venture, she has grown her flock of ducks from five to fifteen.

Now financially independent, Mercy contributes meaningfully to her household expenses, easing the burden on her husband and boosting her own confidence. Looking ahead, she plans to expand her business by setting up a fast-food joint next to her car wash.

Mercy encourages other women and men not to remain idle, but to seize every opportunity, no matter how small, as a stepping stone toward growth and independence.

In Kalungu Village, Kalungu Sub-location in Kibwezi location of Makueni County where water shortage and harsh weather make farming difficult, Margaret Kimote has embraced simple, sustainable solutions to transform her life. For years, she depended on the Kibwezi market for vegetables, making two trips every week and spending nearly KSh 400 per week on transport—a heavy burden, especially with her frail leg.

Today, Margaret no longer needs to buy vegetables. Her flourishing kitchen garden provides her family with fresh, healthy produce at home. With the money she saved from market trips and vegetable purchases, she invested in buying chicken layers from which she collects about two crates of eggs, which she sells for extra income.

Margaret has also ventured into azolla farming, using azolla as a cost-effective and nutritious alternative feed for her chickens—reducing expenses while keeping her flock productive.

She proudly acknowledges that much of this knowledge came through her Village Savings and Lending Association (VSLA) group, where she learned about innovative practices like making briquettes, biochar and energy-saving stove—technologies she now uses in her home to save costs and conserve the environment. Margaret’s story is proof that small, smart innovations can create big changes in people’s lives.

At just 20 years old, Brenda Kwamboka is a fourth-year student at Moi University, pursuing a degree in Civil Aviation Management—a dream that once seemed far out of reach.

Brenda is the first-born in a family of three. She was raised by a hardworking mother who took on casual jobs—washing clothes, digging, planting—just to put food on the table. Her father offered little support and was strongly opposed to investing in the girls’ education. When Brenda sat her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams and scored 329 marks out of the possible 500 marks, she was called to Enomatasiani Girls. But the excitement was short-lived as there was no money, and no encouragement from home.

In 2018, when she was about to join Form 1, Brenda learned about Fadhili Trust through her aunt. That connection changed everything. Fadhili Trust stepped in, covering school fees, transport, shopping, and even rent during critical times. With this support, Brenda completed high school with a B plain in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), and earned a place at Moi University.

Fadhili Trust didn’t stop there. They continue to pay her university tuition and accommodation. Without this intervention, Brenda admits, “I’d probably still be hopelessly at home. My father didn’t see value in girls’ education.”

The support has also lifted the burden for one of her siblings. Her 18-year-old sister is now pursuing Emergency Medical Training at Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) under Fadhili Trust sponsorship, and her younger brother, currently in Grade 5, is being supported by a private school due to his strong academic performance.

Brenda has faced many challenges, including a 25 km walk with her mother to seek sponsorship. But those sacrifices continue to fuel her ambition. She dreams of working at an international airport, not just to achieve personal success, but to uplift her family, especially her mother, who has given so much for their future.

Her greatest motivation is giving back. She says, “There is always hope. I want to support other children like me, those with dreams but no means. And I’ll start with my little brother. My mother deserves to rest.”

John during his Undergraduate Graduation Ceremony

John Eshiwani’s story is a powerful example of how access to education and consistent support can transform a young life.
His journey with Fadhili Trust began when he was just nine years old, in Class 3 at a public school in Ongata Rongai. At the time, his mother was part of Fadhili Trust’s community health project. Impressed by his academic performance, John was enrolled in Fadhili Trust’s Watoto Wetu project, opening the door to new opportunities.
While in Form 1, John began attending free Judo classes at a nearby Catholic church, initially as a way to learn self-defense. What started as a skill quickly grew into a passion. Through hard work and dedication, John developed into a competitive athlete, proudly representing Kenya in international Judo tournaments in Algeria, Zanzibar, Burundi, and Botswana.
Academically, John’s commitment remained strong. He earned a Diploma in Information Technology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in June 2019. Determined to go further, he enrolled for a degree in IT in 2020 and successfully graduated in December 2022.

Today, John is paying it forward. He coaches Judo to children between the ages of 4 and 16, instilling in them the same discipline and resilience that carried him forward. While seeking meaningful employment in the tech sector, he continues to support his mother, who often faces health challenges.
Thanks to the ongoing support of the Watoto Wetu project and generous supporters, John has become a confident, self-reliant young man, able to care for himself and contribute to his family’s well-being.

John’s journey is just one of many made possible through the support of the Watoto Wetu Project. With your help, we can reach more vulnerable children with education, mentorship, and hope for a brighter future.
Partner with us today to empower the next generation.
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Eunice Kamene can now enjoy her smile as she enjoys her healing journey. Thanks to the collaboration of churches that’s been made possible by Fadhili Trust’s CCT Program

The Church is becoming salt and light in communities across Makueni County. Through Fadhili Trust’s Church and Community Transformation (CCT) trainings focused on mindset change, relationship building, and holistic ministry, churches are emerging as true beacons of hope. Their acts of mercy, kindness, and love are restoring dignity to the most vulnerable, and many families are now seeing the Church as a reliable source of support, compassion, and care.

One such story is that of Eunice Kamene, a 39-year-old mother of one from Kavete Village. Her life has been transformed through the intervention of a CCT-trained church, Redeemed Gospel Church (RGC) Vambani.

A Journey Marked by Struggle

Eunice was married in 2011 and lived in Mutituni, Machakos. Her marriage began to break down when her husband became irresponsible around the time their daughter, Mirriam Mwende, joined high school. Over time, he became abusive and neglected his responsibilities, even failing to provide food or school fees.

With no support and a daughter to raise, Eunice left her matrimonial home and sought work in Mlolongo, Nairobi. Life in the city was harsh. She survived by doing casual labour—washing clothes, cultivating farms, and carrying goods. Despite her efforts, she could barely make enough for rent, food, or school fees.

A Health Crisis and a Cry for Help

Due to strenuous work, poor diet, and lack of medical care, Eunice’s health deteriorated. She began experiencing serious side effects, including loss of sight and hearing. Her father-in-law informed her mother about her worsening condition. At the time, her husband had followed her to Mlolongo but still offered no support.

In late 2024, Eunice was gravely ill. Her mother couldn’t afford transport to visit her, but the village elder stepped in and informed RGC Vambani. The church organized a fellowship and invited St. Simon Kiimani Catholic Church, Authentic Reconciliation Church (ARC), and Gospel Furthering Fellowship (GFF) Church to visit Eunice’s mother. Upon learning about the situation, they mobilized their congregations and raised KSh 11,000. This money was used to bring Eunice back home and provide food for the family.

Eunice was admitted to Makindu General Hospital, where she was diagnosed with cerebral malaria, which had affected her memory, vision, and hearing. The church continued supporting her with medical care and daily needs.

Recovery and Restoration

Thanks to treatment and ongoing support, Eunice is now in the recovery stage. Her sight and hearing have returned, and she is slowly regaining her memory. Encouraged by the love and fellowship shown to her, she has now joined Redeemed Gospel Church Vambani, while her mother, a former member of ARC Church, has resumed attending services.

Eunice’s mother expressed deep gratitude for her daughter’s healing and for the overwhelming support from the church and community. She is determined that Eunice will not return to the abusive marriage. The church is also offering counseling to help her heal emotionally.

A New Chapter for the Family

Even as Eunice recovers, the family’s journey continues. Her daughter Mirriam, who scored a B- in her national exams, is ready to join university. The church is currently mobilizing resources from both members and the community to support her education.

This story is just one example of how the CCT program is equipping churches to restore hope, rebuild families, and reflect Christ’s love in real and practical ways.

Keeslin Arivitsa at her school; the Technical University of Kenya

Keeslin Arivitsa’s journey is a powerful testament to the impact of education support and the power of resilience. Raised in a financially constrained background, Keeslin dream of attaining quality education often seemed distant—until Fadhili Trust stepped in.

Keeslin was first supported by Fadhili Trust while joining High School at Asumbi Girls. Through the Trust’s education sponsorship program, commonly known as Watoto Wetu, her school fees and upkeep were consistently covered, lifting a huge burden off her mother’s shoulders and allowing her to fully focus on her studies. With determination and the support of Fadhili Trust, Kesley successfully completed her secondary education with commendable performance.

Today, Keeslin is pursuing a Bachelor of Real Estate, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at the Technical University of Kenya—a remarkable achievement that stands as a milestone not only in her personal journey but also in the mission of Fadhili Trust to empower young people through education.

Keeslin continues to thrive academically and aspires to become a leading professional in the real estate sector, contributing to Kenya’s development and inspiring others from disadvantaged backgrounds. She aspires to some day also support many who are from needy backgrounds to attain their education as a way of giving back.

Fadhili Trust is proud to have walked with Keeslin on this transformative journey and remains committed to supporting many more like her. Her story is a shining example of what is possible when potential meets opportunity.

Samuel Muthoka from Kavete Village, Mikuyuni Sub-location, Makueni County practicing 100% soil cover through mulching

In the semi-arid landscapes of Makueni County, where erratic rainfall and soil degradation pose significant challenges, Samuel Muthoka, a seasoned farmer from Kavete village in Mikuyuni Sub-location of Makueni County, embarked on a transformative journey to revitalize his farming practices.

Facing dwindling yields and escalating costs associated with conventional farming methods, Samuel sought innovative solutions to enhance soil fertility and moisture retention. Through training sessions facilitated by agricultural extension officers from Fadhili Trust, he was introduced to the practice of mulching—a technique involving the application of organic materials like crop residues, grass clippings, and leaves to cover the soil surface.

He attests that the mulch layer significantly reduced evaporation, maintaining consistent soil moisture levels even during dry seasons. Also, as the organic mulch decomposed, it enriched the soil with essential nutrients, fostering a thriving environment for crops and the mulch barrier inhibited weed growth,

reducing competition for nutrients and minimizing the need for manual weeding. In comparison, there are weeds, moisture is not retained, the soil has  hardpan, and the crops are not healthy.

Samuel says the adoption of mulching has led to a substantial increase in crop yields. Additionally, the improved soil health and moisture retention translated to significance reduction on water reliance, drastically cutting water usage.

Samuel’s success with mulching has not only transformed his farming operations but also inspired fellow farmers in Kavete village. He actively shares his experiences through local farmer groups and workshops, advocating for sustainable agricultural practices that enhance resilience against climate change.

At Kalembwani Village in Mikuyuni Sub-location of Makueni County, farmers are fast embracing using Azolla to supplement poultry feeds, thanks to Fadhili Trust’s Nature+ project that has offered the trainings. This practice has not only helped reduce feed costs but also improved the overall health and productivity of the chickens. Ms. Eunice Mango has set up small-scale Azolla ponds(1M by 4M) to cultivate the fern.

The Azolla grows quickly, with a doubling time of about 2-3 days, making it a highly renewable resource. Ms. Mango sells 2kg of Azolla on a daily basis to interested farmers at Kshs.2,000 which she is able to meet other pressing household needs. This she says has increased her income diversity which she never used to attract.

She says that Azolla has significantly lowered the cost of poultry production, hence making it a more profitable venture to her household and the rest of the community. She has also observed improved egg production and growth rates in her chicken flocks as it is rich in Protein, Nitrogen, Vitamins, Iron, Calcium and Phosphorus which boost the immune system and overall health of the chickens. From nine of her layers, she previously could realize 27 eggs in 7 days.

However, the nine layers are now laying 63 eggs in 7-days. She also uses azolla to feed her dairy cows which has seen an increase milk production. On a daily, her three cows could previously produce 6 litres of milk but are now producing 9 liters of milk, which she sells as fresh milk, fermented milk or yoghurt.

This sustainable practice is now being scaled up, with more farmers joining the azolla bandwagon due to the clear economic and environmental benefits. The integration of Azolla in poultry farming is seen as a model for sustainable, low-cost poultry production that improves farmer profitability while reducing environmental impact.

Doris Richard, a 43-year-old poultry farmer based in Kibwezi West Sub-County of Makueni County has decided to fully venture into the poultry business. This was after making several attempts at other businesses including spare parts, which eventually collapsed. This got her discouraged and resorted to be a stay-at-home wife. While at it, she decided to venture into poultry farming. She borrowed money from merry-go-round groups where she was a member, bought a 68-eggs capacity incubator, a solar, battery and an invertor. Since there was no other hatchery within Mikuyuni Sub-location, she started one at her small capacity using the small incubator, even though the demand for chicks continued to grow beyond the incubator’s capacity.

In March 2024, she joined Kalembwani Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), a group that Fadhili Trust aided in establishing and overtime, were taught on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, record keeping, loan management, financial discipline and Climate smart Agriculture (CA) amongst others. Following capacity building sessions on diversification into poultry keeping as a climate resilient livelihood in the VSLA groups, she decided to borrow money from the VSLA group as per her shares and savings in a bid to purchase a bigger capacity incubator. Her husband also topped up a considerable amount of money to enable her acquire the 1,056-capacity egg-holder.

As much as Doris was passionate about poultry farming, she used to enjoy minimal profits as her chicks and hens died in great numbers for lack of knowledge in poultry management. However, since joining Kalembwani Shiners VSLA, she is experiencing greater profits whenever she makes sales. None of her chicken are dieing now as she has knowledge on proper housing, feeding, health management, breeding and genetics and record keeping. She is also able to produce insect proteins that supplement as chicken feed, leading to reduced expenses in chicken feeds, she has also put up a perimeter wall to guard her chicken from infections from neighbouring chicken and other poultry farmers call her to consult on matters chicken illnesses. Additionally, they have started practicing fodder production, her husband has deeply developed interest in Climate Smart Agriculture practices (CSA) and has done over 100 Zai pits ready to practice agroforestry, plant pawpaws and pixies amongst other fruits. In the long run, he has a target of doing 500 Zai Pits. Richard Musee, Doris’ husband says he has had a total paradigm shift on farming.

“The last season, on a small piece of land, we planted maize on Zai pits and were able to harvest a considerable number of bags while my neighbors never had any harvest at all. That has made me more motivated to delve deeper into modern ways of farming,” Richard says, evidently carrimg a joy that is almost palpable, a quiet happiness that seems to bubble up effortlessly.

Doris and Richard currently have 70-improved chicken layers, 60 chicks of between 2-3 months and 250 chicks of between 1 day-1week old. On a daily basis, Doris collects 40 eggs from her layers in readiness for hatching and on a monthly basis, they make minimum sales of Kshs.80,000 and roughly a profit of Kshs.40,000. Richard, who works in Mombasa, now finds himself travelling home frequently to join Doris in poultry farming as well as spend time in his agro-forestry efforts. In the very near future, they desire to acquire a stall at Kibwezi Market to consistently be selling chicks as demand is quite high but supply is low. They also anticipate purchasing a vehicle to facilitate logistics whenever there are huge orders. Doris says, they desire to expand the business as previously they have been receiving large orders but they have not been in a position to meet the demand. However, they have been able to sell hens and chicks to as far as Mombasa and Kitui counties. Richard considers their chicken business as one of his retirement plans and is highly encouraging men to support their spouses into economic independence as such ventures are helpful in creating family bonds, cohesion and bringing about development. Also, the couple is grateful that Fadhili Trust officers are always present to give guidance on smart farming and willing to consistently follow through until a VSLA member internalizes a concept.

Social economic empowerment is part of the main components of a 3-year Nature Positive project, supported by Government of Canada, Tear Fund and Canadian Food Grain Bank (CFGB) which is implemented by Fadhili Trust in Kibwezi West Sub- County of Makueni County