Celebrating Women in Business on International Women's Day

This is not your regular girl talk. It is a celebration of persistence, hard work and dedication to get to where they are. As we celebrate International women’s day today, IIA celebrates the over 200 Women in Business on the African Partner Pool (APP) platform.

Below are some of the SMEs on the platform:

1. Elizabeth Waithera- Founder, Pesiwa enterprises
Sector: General Supplies

Elizabeth is an entrepreneur who thrives on positivity as her driving force. She believes in positivity so much that she coined her company name from there, ie  PESIWA meaning Positive Entrepreneurs Show It With Actions.

She enjoys entrepreneurship because she gets to be her own boss and keeps a larger profit share. She also enjoys the flexibility that comes with it and the exposure she gets in her day to day running of the business. She likes new challenges and believes that champions are only created out of trials.

2.Joan Atamba Makatiani- Founder, Lawon Women Trading
Sector: Construction

Isn't construction just for boys?
The simple answer is no. Women make up around 14% of construction industry professionals and this number can only be set to rise. Joan is among them going against the grain.  
She says that women can work anywhere just like men but stresses on the fact that men and women need to coexist to thrive. She finds inspiration in a phrase in a prayer that goes like …“Oh God……… help me to recognize that in a world where many are unfortunate, show us how we may use our gift to help others.”

She celebrates herself today as well as all the other women in the globe. “As women on this very special day in our honour, lets vow to keep the momentum going, lets pull our strengths, talents, positions, connections, resources, opportunities, networks to support each other at whatever stage of our journeys , leveraging on the support of the exceptional men who are willing to join this unstoppable bandwagon.” She says.

3. Lydia Tioko- Founder, Loiteiteleit Company limited
Sector- Construction
Lydia Tioko dared to dream – and she is living that dream!
Born and brought up in the male-dominated Turkana Culture, hers was confinement to the predominantly patriarchal society that is Turkana, in Northern Kenya.
Growing up watching men take the lead in almost all facets of life as the women performed their supportive roles, gave her a strong passion to do more. This push and desire for more saw her labour her way through education and ultimately to start a business of her own – A construction company! Who could have thought it is even possible for a woman to venture into such uncharted waters? It was unheard of, but she went on.
Lydia is also a beneficiary of the IIA Credit Guarantee Scheme. (CGS)

4. Akiberan Aberu Suppliers Limited
Sector: Fruit and vegetable supply in Turkana County

Akiberan Aberu was founded by over 100 women in Turkana to tap into opportunities in the Oil and Gas sector. Akiberan has overcome many challenges and now supplies dry foods, fruits and vegetables to Tullow Kenya BV. They were the first SME to get funding from IIA under the Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS).

5. Kathambi Ruchiami-Founder, Ekar Communications Limited
Sector: Branding and PR
Website: www.ekarcommunications.com

With over 7 years of building a branding agency from scratch, Cylia asserts that anything is possible with persistence.  As for advice to other women entrepreneurs, she notes the key to success is investing in knowledge and knowing more than you did yesterday.

6. Hodan Mohamed- CEO, Dodilion Success.

Sector: Mentorship and coaching

For over 15 years, travelling far and wide, Hodan Mohamed has earned a name for herself in helping African entrepreneurs to strategically grow their business and increase profitability through mentorship and coaching.
She believes that if SMEs can shift their mindset and strategically position themselves in the marketplace, they can expand both domestically and internationally.

“I have the passion for entrepreneurs. Therefore, I have created an incredible program for entrepreneurs to transform their businesses and lives using various tools and methods, She says.

Website: https://dodilion.com

INVEST IN AFRICA WISHES YOU A HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!