This profile is part of a series that captures how Root Capital’s Gender Equity Grants are transforming the lives of rural women. Read more here.
David Wa’ngombe grew up one of five children in a single parent household in Laikipia, Kenya. His father died when he was young and his mother struggled to raise the family on her own. David was fortunate to complete secondary school, after which he was determined to support his family. With school certificates in hand, he traveled to the town of Nyeri looking for work—and was sent to Sagana Nuts, where he now works as a Grading Machine Operator.
When Sagana created a savings and credit cooperative using a Gender Equity Grant from Root Capital, David had another opportunity to support his family back home. Without previous access to credit, they had been struggling to get by. With a loan from the savings group, David bought a motorbike and a dairy cow that could help supplement the family’s income. He also began paying for his sisters’ education and constructing a new house.
Because of the cooperative, David says: “We have more than just sustenance. Now there is additional income, and even higher education. I love to learn, so it’s a challenge to me to make sure my two sisters finish their education. I will continue working here…and won’t rest until my sisters complete secondary and university. Then I can join a course to also advance myself.”
Along with financial freedom and increased opportunities for the women in his family, the loan has increased David’s self-confidence: “I am proud because in all the new things I tried… I’m even more confident that any vision that comes to my mind can become a reality.”
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