Here is the story of the man and women behind Big Fish, your favorite fish vendors

EMPOWERING KENYANS TO BRIDGE THE POVERTY GAP

By MUKAMI MUNGAI

‘Women hold up half the sky.’ this is a Chinese saying that best describes the strength of a  woman in relation to creating, nurturing and transforming the world. It also portrays the gifts women have of logic, decisiveness and strength. These and much more best suits Ms Pauline Ngari, the Chief Executive Officer Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HiH EA), an NGO that scouts for economic empowerment and poverty eradication in the rural and urban areas. HiH as it is popularly known was birthed in India through a concept of eradicating child labor in an effort to empower mothers of children working in cottage industries to form groups to curb poverty and allow their children go to school. The idea has since spread to different continents and continues to reap fruits of success as many lives are been transformed.

Ms Ngari’s story is an epitome of sacrifice, determination and passion. Born and bred in Kirinyaga District, she attended Mumbuini Primary school, thereafter joined Kabare Secondary school and later did her A levels in Mukumu Girls High School. Having come from a background of lack and struggle, Ngari was determined to fight the ugly face of poverty. She enrolled at the Cooperative University of Kenya to study cooperative development and later got a job as a cooperative officer in charge of three divisions in Kiambu District. In 1984, she joined the Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT) as a credit officer and rose up to become the general manager. She credits herself as having established operations of KWFT Rift Valley region. Under her helm she helped set up over fifteen branches covering Kisumu, Bomet, Nakuru, Nandi, Keiyo and Turkana with a staff of 100 and a portfolio of 25,000 borrowers. In 2006 she was promoted as the general manager to head KWFT credit program.” my role was to establish an efficient and effective credit program with a 100% support of clients using consistent operatives and a highly motivated staff, “she says. She helped implement the credit plus products including solar energy products and water tanks and the Kenya Women Afya Card meant to facilitate the well-being of clients in partnership with CIC insurance and the NHIF.

She later joined CIC insurance as the general manger in charge of marketing and cooperative development to spearhead marketing of CIC products and the brand name. All these managerial positions are what shaped her for her current overall job position as the CEO of HiH Eastern Africa.A position that she has embraced with equal strength and much gusto.” having been born in a family of 11 and poverty hovering over us, I experienced it firsthand I am thus driven by the desire to transform lives through alleviation of poverty to create better lives,” she says.

The Egerton and JKUAT University graduate in marketing and entrepreneurship respectively, despite interacting with the who is who in both government and entrepreneurship circles, portrays a down to earth demeanour even in our conversation. Our interview is interrupted by visitors who drop in to greet and appreciate her work. Under her stewardship, HiH has established 16 branches in 11 counties. HiH officers also called teachers are equipped with requisite skills on training and empowering the rural populations on how to start micro businesses and generate jobs. Though they target all genders, women form a large part of their clients.i asks her why. “You see, women are more organized in self help groups compared to men. Hence it is easier to reach out to them, “she answers. One of their projects dubbed young mothers project was set up in 2012.it is meant to reach out to young vulnerable mothers who have undergone difficult circumstances in their lives. For instance broken marriages. “We train them on entrepreneurship skills and encouraging them to save using the tin model concept. She plays me a video of one of the success stories they have done of a woman in Nakuru County who saved Sh 7000 and started a poultry business.

She also serves me tea from the Hibiscus plant. “This was got from one of our clients, Ann Nzisa in Machakos. After been trained by our officers on how to turn her small venture into money making one, her life has changed. We taught her about packaging and market linkages and she now has many clients. Another program they are implementing is known as the adult literacy and integrated entrepreneurship in Emali, Loitoktok and Makueni.it is aimed at enhancing educational skills on writing and reading.11, 000 people are expected to benefit from the project. In 2013, they expanded to Rwanda in collaboration with CARE in a project aimed at creating 80,000 jobs.

Currently, HiH EA is implementing the village uplift program aimed at attracting individuals and small corporates who have an interest in training villagers on economic empowerment and poverty eradication. Unlike the other projects, this one targets about 240 families. Already it is been piloted in Gilgil, Kikopey, Matuu and Yatta. On April, they will roll out another project in partnership with Johnson and Johnson Citizenship Trust (J&J) in areas of hygiene with a focus on clean drinking water.

HiH EA intends to create 75,700 micro businesses which will generate 98,400 jobs by the year 2015 in Kenya. Ngari calls on the government to partner with organizations like HiH EA so as to give the youth entrepreneurship education, mentorship programs, market linkages and business incubators.

The mother of three spends her leisure time mentoring the youth and reading motivational books and derives her passion in “bringing change in whatever way.”