The BOMA Projects Helps Women in Africa End Poverty

Most of us view starting a business as a form of occupation, but imagine starting a business just to help feed your family. This is the situation among many women in Northern Kenya where extreme poverty affects the lives of thousands of women and their children. The BOMA Project was created to help these women by giving them an opportunity for financial stability.

The BOMA Project is a U.S. nonprofit whose purpose is to help women in Northern Kenya start micro-businesses in their communities. The program gives them the tools they need to start small businesses that will result in a source of income, the ability to feed their families, send their children to school and pay for medical care.

The goal of the program, which began in 2011, is to establish long-term financial stability for women in Northern Kenya. Helping them start micro-businesses of their own will give them sustainable income that will take them out of poverty. More than 32,000 women and children have been helped through the program since its beginning.

The program includes grants, business mentors in the villages, and training programs that teach women business skills. The mentors closely monitor the progress of each business to ensure the best results are being produced. The BOMA Project, founded by Kathleen Colson, has been recognized by the U.N. for its work for and by women.

For more information, visit bomaproject.org/