Program: Jasiri Fund
Location: Kilifi, Kenya
Meet Patricia Loko Mutua, a woman of courage who proudly embraces the title of Mama Jasiri, meaning “brave woman” in Swahili, symbolizing her remarkable journey through some of a woman’s deepest violations to firmly steer the course of her life.
Patricia was born and raised in Makueni County, where she faced the harsh realities of gender-based violence during her second year of secondary education, driving her into early motherhood and, subsequently, early marriage. Like many women who find themselves in these extreme circumstances, she felt lost. Even as she moved to live with her son’s paternal family in Athi River, Machakos County, the trauma and challenges of early motherhood were hard to bear. A decision to move with her two children, build a house, and live at her paternal grandparents' parcel of land in Makueni seemed to be the way out.
This, too, however, did not give her relief. She was not making ends meet. And so, her next decision was to leave her children with her mother and head out to look for work. A lorry ride led her to the coastal town of Lamu, where the Catholic Church became a significant part of her life. The church, a sanctuary of compassion and support, provided her solace and a sense of community when she needed it. The compassionate nuns were her pillar. With her troubled mind soothed, she now had the task of looking for work, with the goal of being able to bring her children home.
Patricia is not a quitter. She started with a series of meagre jobs, trials, and challenges in between, which would eventually lead her to yet another county, this time Kilifi. As fate would have it, Patricia would meet another woman, Mumina Mohamud, sharing a similar story, and who was now mobilizing other women and introducing them to the Jasiri Fund program, a Mastercard Foundation financial/credit product exclusively targeted at survivors of gender based violence (GBV) primarily to provide quality financial services to cushion GBV survivors from shocks and effects of GBV and progressively support survivors to create and sustain economic activities after GBV ordeals. The program was being implemented by three organizations: Centre for Rights Awareness & Education (CREAW), GROOTS Kenya, and Centre for Collaborative and Gender Development (CCGD). The Fund, implemented across 10 counties during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided GBV response interventions combined with entrepreneurship and business management training.
Patricia had just the attitude and technical skills earned through her life journey that she could convert into a business: beading, tie and dye fabric making, and detergent making, and with the right business development training and joining support groups organized by CREAW one of the implementation partners, Patricia became an entrepreneur, crafting her own destiny. The time during the COVID-19 pandemic presented its own extra challenges, but the determination in Patricia’s mind embraced the opportunity to its fullest, taking the first loan, paying it off, then the next and next as her businesses grew. This program has become a catalyst for her transformation from survivor to advocate, connecting her with a community of resilient women who, like her, had faced adversity. In these groups shared experiences become a wellspring of strength and solace.
The loans Patricia received from the Jasiri Fund played a pivotal role in her journey, empowering her to make strategic investments in her business. Starting with an initial Ksh 50,000 and subsequent amounts of Ksh 65,000 and 90,000, these funds enabled her to secure a tender to supply schools with her detergent products.
Today, Patricia’s beads products business sees her supply to organizations, groups, events, and to individuals. She also trains persons with disabilities in making these products to start their own enterprises. Additionally, she also sells fabrics, as well as cleaning and beauty products. She also co-runs an outdoor catering business with one of her sons, where they also hire young people to provide the services during events. From her entrepreneurship ventures, she is educating her two sons, one pursuing hospitality and another engineering, as well as her brother’s son, who is in high school. “I am able to afford their stiff school fees thanks to what I am doing,” says Patricia.
Beyond her thriving businesses, Patricia is a vocal champion for women's rights, which extends to her community. She is now a well-known speaker and gender-based violence campaigner in the region, efforts that have won her multiple awards recognizing her as a Peacemaker and Gender-Based Violence Champion. Some of these awards include AOSK (Association of Sisterhood Kenya) Peace and GBV Champion 2023, Best CWA (Catholic Women’s Association) Leader in Mombasa in 2021, CWA GBV Champion in Mombasa 2022, CWA Women Peacemaker Champion in Mombasa 2022, and CWA Best Women Leader in Diocese Level 2022.
Fuelled by the desire to empower those who have experienced gender-based violence, she tirelessly advocates for justice and awareness. She also established the Faraja Self-Help Group, where GBV survivors share and learn from each other to support the success of their enterprises and empower themselves.
The Jasiri Fund found her just when she needed it, giving her the tools and the skills, and igniting her passion. Now, she is growing the impact, one GBV survivor at a time. Witnessing a support group meeting, you can’t help getting moved by her energy and drive to ignite this passion to others.
Alongside her advocacy, Patricia has also identified another critical need — the demand for professional counselling. She is now studying to become a counsellor, emphasizing her commitment to providing holistic support to women who have faced similar challenges.
The church continues to be a sanctuary in Patricia's life, providing spiritual support and a sense of belonging. It is within the church community that she found solace and formed connections that strengthened her resolve to overcome adversity.
Patricia's commitment to empowering others echoes in every aspect of her journey, embodying the transformative ethos of the Jasiri Fund.
In Patricia's own words, "Jasiri is part of my healing." Her journey illustrates that the Jasiri Fund is not just about financial aid; it's about creating a community where shared experiences become a wellspring of strength and solace. Patricia's story is a testament to the profound impact of empowerment, community, and the unwavering spirit of a brave woman committed to empowering others who have faced gender-based violence.
