Bibiana Obambo
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Authors
Patrick Meinhardt
Issue Date
2018-04
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Energy , Gender
Alternative Title
Abstract
Bibiana is an energy entrepreneur and a member of the Thokiombi Women’s Group. Bibiana is 42 and has 6 children - the youngest of whom is 9. She lives in a small village outside of Kisumu city and is chair of the 8-strong Thokiombi Women’s Group. she runs a factory producing liners and improved cook stoves outside Kisum. Their factory consists of a kiln to fire the clay and a building to store their finished products. The stoves are not only taken to the local market but are being sold across Kisumu County because of their impressive quality. Fifteen people work at the factory, each making 50 liners per day, but in the dry season, they can make up to 150 each per day as they can leave the stoves and liners in the sun to dry.
Before, Bibiana was producing a small amount of pots and sold them at the market but she earnt very little and wanted to do more to support her family. “Before, I was making pots, now it’s much better because now I am making improved cook stoves. I make many different stoves so I’m making more money than before. A long time before I was just making pots and nothing else. I’m selling every day. Before, I was making 200 KES of profit and now it’s 3000 Shillings per week.”
It’s incredible just how far Bibiana has come. Within her community, women were not (and in some cases, still aren’t) given the same opportunities as men. When she first began selling energy products, her family, friends and community were surprised. In rural areas of Kenya, it’s extremely uncommon to see women running their own businesses, the role of women is still seen as the traditional carer, to bring up children and cook for the family but Bibiana and many others are proving that this doesn’t have to be the only way and women can achieve their dreams. “Before this project, there was so much stigmatisation in the village, women would not be heard! Men had to decide everything.”
“After the training, I came back and I felt empowered. It changed gradually, the first step was telling women that they can do jobs.” The empowerment training gave Bibiana the confidence to market her products and this has enabled her to sell them to the local communities and beyond. Her success has been key in changing attitudes in her community. “Now, I can do my own things and without the consent of my husband. I couldn’t even get a loan from the bank, but now I can because I have a successful business.”
The improved cook stoves that Bibiana is making, not only help her and her family, but the wider community, especially women and girls. “The stoves help with energy, they use less firewood, and they are cleaner because smoke is reduced. The stoves have an impact on women and girls who are collecting firewood. They used to take the whole day to collect wood, but now they only take two hours because the stove uses less wood.” Women and girls can now spend this time getting an education, looking after their families or starting their own businesses.
On average – she makes 200 liners per day and 50 complete stoves per day.
Demand is high for the ICS and liners and they work hard to keep up, supplying stoves to customers across Kisumu County and in Siaya, Bondo, Migori, Nori, Boro and Homabay. Bibiana hires a pickup truck and takes the products to these places.
She undertook business training through Practical Action. This gave her the confidence to market the stoves and she travels across the country to sell her products.
“I’ve had a lot of training. Before, I didn’t know how to do banking or how to keep business records. I’ve received training on marketing and empowerment too.
“I pay visits to other groups and bring ideas and knowledge I have learnt back to my group. I’ve learnt how others make their stoves, how they’re doing their banking and how they operate with their money.
“We have visited the country government as a group and have spoken to them. We told them that there are women making and selling energy products and this is helping to empower women, so that they know that they don’t have to wait for their husbands to give them money, they can earn it themselves.
Consent form: https://infohub.practicalaction.org/handle/11283/620998
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