Christine Lokidogoi is a restless and energetic person. She talks quickly in a tumble of sentences, many of which are the beginnings of remarkable ideas. Christine’s energetic outlook is especially remarkable given that she is a single mother of  five children.

Prior to BOMA, Christine relied on menial labor to make a living. She washed clothes. She made deliveries. And like so many women in her community, she stood over dark embers of burning wood as she made charcoal.  At the best of times, income was unpredictable.

“I wanted a bright future for my children,” Christine says. “But I didn’t see how I could make this future possible.”

Christine was selected as a participant for the BOMA Project. BOMA provided Christine with seed capital to start a new business.  BOMA’s mentors provided her with business and life-skills training.

Financial training sessions covered areas like supply and demand, profit and pricing, record keeping, and marketing.  Life-skills sessions included household decision-making, the importance of educating children (especially girls), family planning, and the rights of women under the Kenyan constitution.

Christine started a business charging cell phones using a solar panel.  Business flourished. Her cellphone charging business continued to boom even after she exited BOMA’s program. After graduating from the BOMA Project, Christine used her savings to build a rental unit with two rooms. One of the units has already been rented by a doctor. The additional income is welcome. However, what’s especially valuable for Christine and the members of the Nasurui manyatta, is the presence of a doctor in their community.

What has Christine done with the additional income? She has purchased a TV. She has enrolled all of her children in school.

“I am now hopeful for the future.” Christine says.