June Kenyan Woman of the Month

Emily Atieno

Age 39

What Pangea Women’s Network Cooperative are you apart of?

Wanandege Women Cooperative

Tell us about yourself

I am 39 years old, and a mother of two children. I am also partially responsible for several other children in my extended family and provide for different needs that each of them has at a personal level or for academic purposes. Over the years I have started and operate three businesses. In 2009, I started my business of selling bags and ‘vitenge’, which are African printed fabric which are sewn to clothing items worn by women men and even children. It is my passion for African fashion that made me start this business. I also offer décor services for events such as parties and weddings since 2017. My latest gig, which I began in 2019, is offering Financial Literacy training to youth groups. I am married and live in Mathare North area in Nairobi County.

What are you most proud of?

I can attest that I am proud of the decisions I have made in life. In my personal life, I made the decision to ensure I am able to provide for myself and my children adequately. So far, I have been able to pay their school fees as one is in high school and another in primary school. I also spare some of my earnings to help other children that are in need. This way I believe they will be useful people later in life and will in turn help others like they have been helped. I am also proud of my growing businesses which allow me to express myself through my creativity. I especially enjoy decorating for events as they allow me to execute the latest trends in the industry and make my clients happy. It is fulfilling when everyone around me is happy as it also makes me happy.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned with The Pangea Network?

The most important lessons I learned with Pangea were the ones on Record Keeping and Budgeting. These topics enabled me to know the difference between needs and wants, the importance of budgeting so as to live within my means. This topic inspired me so much that it unlocked my passion for knowledge sharing. After the training, I enrolled for a course on Financial Literacy which gave me more skills and knowledge in the area. This led me to get an opportunity with a society known as Finmart SACCO where I currently work. This job has seen me train youth groups in different areas of Kenya such as Rongo, Kisumu and Kitale. Altogether, I have trained about 180 youth between March and December 2020. It is my joy to share with them my business experiences and how I have learnt to deal with money over time. I will forever remember the Pangea training which made me find out my passion in Finance and train others too.

When I received the Pangea loan, I used it to increase my stock of fabric as well as décor items, incorporating the latest trends. My stock is non-perishable hence can last a while as I wait to get customers for them. I market my fabrics and décor services on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook.

How has the Covid-19 Pandemic affected your business?

The Covid-19 situation has greatly affected my businesses. For the ‘vitenge’ selling business, there is generally low demand for fabric everywhere. This has been made worse by the limitations imposed on gatherings hence people do not feel the need to buy new fabric for clothes that would be appropriate for such occasions. Fewer gatherings also mean that my décor business has low demand as well. However, I ensure to deliver my best for the few small events I get so that my clients can give me referrals for other events they may get wind of. When I go to conduct the Financial Literacy training, I get to get the general feeling amongst people on how the pandemic has made them depressed especially if they have dependents. I use the opportunity to explain to them the importance of planning for emergencies financially so that a future situation such as this will find us better prepared.

I sincerely thank Pangea for they are truly impacting lives just like they did mine.