Winnie’s Entrepreneurship Story

Winnie Rehema is a young woman from Watamu in Malindi. She is part of Tapona Foundation’s  Eggpreneur Poultry Project. In 2021 she went through the Poultry Production Course and was provided with the incentives, which included chicjs and feed, to start her own project. A few months later her chickens are flourishing and are almost ready for sale.

Winnie Rehema with her mother Esther Neema Iha

The Passion 

“I wanted to make a living and explore new landscapes and possibilities. I had hoped that  my education, specifically in the field of Procurement, would help me secure that.” She says,”I also wanted, through my own empowerment, to change the lives of my family, and make a difference in my community, but I was unemployed. The Eggpreneur project came at an opportune moment”.

The Drive

“I enrolled in the program together with my mother, and we were eager to learn the new methods of chicken rearing. We had previously tried to raise chicken on our own in the past, using old methods, but we weren’t  as successful. Something always seemed to go wrong somewhere with that.” She shares about her journey.

“However, after four months of getting in tune with this practice, I see a big difference in the health of this flock and the other traditional variety that we previously had”, she says, “I am looking forward to start selling these chickens and to expand even more”.

Challenges

Graduating from college was one of the major events in her life that she hoped would help her secure a means to uplift herself and her family. Unfortunately, the unemployment situation in the country means it’s harder to find a job, even for graduates. 

Tapona Foundation through projects such as Eggpreneur, is working on the ground with young people to offer alternative solutions. These include agribusiness and other forms of entrepreneurship models to help people like Winnie earn a living.

Impact

“Right now I am assured that I can successfully sustain my business and make it a profitable venture for me as a young woman. This means I can now make my own money and invest in more ventures”, she explains.

“The program also gave me the chance to explore business at a deeper level, and understand aspects such as operational record keeping and budgeting. This will go a long way towards making sure I am a better entrepreneur. Thank you Tapona Foundation for this life transforming program”.