Daud Anita and her West African Food Shop

27 February 2022

Related: Kenya, Livelihoods

Daud Anita lost her husband and father of her children as a result of the violence in DRC. For her protection and to avoid further repercussions, her family urged her to leave the country and look for shelter with her children, somewhere where they could not be found.

That is how, in 2016, she arrived to Nairobi (Kenya), running for her life. They smuggled in a lorry full of cows, and were hiding in between the animals when there was the thread of a police control. Once in Nairobi, she had nowhere to live, no family, no friends… but she was lucky to be hosted at the lorry’s driver sisters’ house, until one day a friend told her about JRS.

Thanks to the support of JRS, Daud opened a West African food shop in Kawangware. A small duka full of dried food, species of any kind, and dozens of colorful food condiments! That business has allowed her to pay her rent, the school fees for her children, and to provide for her family.

In 2020, as many others, Daud suffered the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic heating her business. Thanks to the support of Alboan and the implementation of JRS, we could offer her business skills training and some capital money to bust her shop.

She learnt the importance of saving money, to keep an accounts book, and to plan in advance.

Her business is doing now way better!

I need my children to go to school. This is something important for me. And that is why I'm fighting for them, for their school. This business is the one helping us to pay our house, to pay school.. everything! I am very happy!
Daud Anita

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