In some of Nairobi’s poorest neighborhoods, many women raise their children largely on their own, with little financial support and few opportunities for stable employment. Some have fled abusive relationships; others have been widowed or abandoned. Without access to savings, credit, or job training, many struggle simply to keep their children fed, housed, and in school.
Maryknoll works directly with these women to help them build more secure and independent lives. The project provides support for launching small businesses, along with access to healthcare services and assistance covering school-related costs for their children. Rather than offering only short-term relief, the emphasis is on equipping women with practical tools, such as basic business skills and startup capital, that allow them to generate their own steady income over time.
This ministry embodies the Catholic Social Teaching principle of the Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, giving particular attention to mothers and children who carry disproportionate burdens of poverty, and affirms the Dignity of the Human Person by recognizing every woman’s capacity for self-determination. It reflects Maryknoll’s charism of accompaniment, walking alongside women in difficult circumstances rather than simply providing aid from a distance, so that dignity and agency grow together.
Gifts to this project help mothers in difficult circumstances start small businesses, access healthcare, and keep their children in school, creating pathways out of poverty for entire families rather than temporary fixes for a single crisis.
