Gikomba merchants to benefit from financial literacy programme

Women entrepreneurs at the Jikomba market will benefit from the financial literacy campaign initiated by Sunshine.

Unilever Brands has launched this empowerment programme called ‘Shika More Na Sunlight’ to equip women entrepreneurs with transformative skills that will shape their future growth and sustainability.

The campaign aims to break down barriers faced by women and create new opportunities for them. So far, the campaign has attracted around 6,000 female traders, with a goal of reaching 100,000.

Launching the campaign, Sanlete stressed that in Kenya, women have long been the backbone of the economy, especially in vibrant centres like the Gikomba market where many women manage small to large businesses.

However, many of these women face challenges such as limited financial resources and restrictive cultural practices that make it more difficult for them to succeed.

Alison Kariyuki, head of legal affairs for Unilever East and West Africa, noted at the launch that many businesses fail due to lack of financial literacy as many do not know how to manage records, returns or even recruit staff and scale their business.

“We have long been committed to empowering women. We work with various organizations to help women, providing tools and resources to transform their lives. This year, we are proud to introduce Financial Independence to Kenyan female entrepreneurs to grow their businesses because we believe that when a woman is empowered, she does not stand alone – she lifts up her family, her community, and ultimately the country,” said Alison Kariuki.