Beneficiary Perspective - Florida Chepkemoi's Story

We sat down with Florida Chepkemoi in her space in Kericho, surrounded by sacks of cereals stacked carefully around her. As she spoke, she kept glancing at her stock, almost instinctively, as though every bag told part of her story.

She has been in this business since 2009. When she talks about those early days, she pauses slightly, then smiles, the kind of smile that carries both memory and relief.

“It was not easy,” she says. Like many small business owners, her journey was shaped by uncertainty. Prices would fluctuate. Some days brought in good money, others barely enough to keep things moving. Growth was never guaranteed, it depended on timing, on luck, or on what the market allowed. To keep going, she relied on a merry-go-round with others in her community. They would contribute and take turns accessing the money. It helped, but only to a point. It was enough to survive, but not quite enough to move forward. Then things began to shift.

She tells us about the moment they were introduced to Stanbic through the Dada Mashinani programme, supported in partnership with the Gates Foundation. As she speaks about that first interaction, her tone changes, more certain now.

“There is a lady that came to us and trained us. She explained how it works,” she says. “And she told us something we were not used to hearing… even without a title deed, you can still get a loan.” That stayed with her.

She opened an account and started small. Her first loan was KES 4,000. She used it, repaid, and took another. Then another. Each time, she added a little more stock, kept her business running, and slowly built consistency.

“At first, I could sell and feel like everything is finished at once,” she explains, shaking her head slightly. “Now, I can plan more consistently.”

The difference shows in the way she speaks. There is less hesitation now and more clarity.

The loans did not just support her business; they supported her life. She uses the money to restock her cereals, pay school fees for her children, and take care of everyday needs at home, the kind that often go unnoticed until they are missing. And then she said something that stayed with us. “I told myself… this Stanbic will take me somewhere.”

She doesn’t say it dramatically. But with a finality in her expression. Like a conclusion she has already reached.

Today, she is still building and growing. Her goal is simple, to increase her stock, to move into a bigger space and to keep expanding what she has started by employing more women in her community.

As we leave, she turns back to her business, adjusting a sack slightly, checking her space, already thinking ahead. And that’s what has changed. Not just the business. But the ability to look forward and know that there is a better future.