Mama Kariuki acquired her disability after being involved in a road accident in 2001.
She is a mother of three. Later in life, further challenges followed when her husband left her with their children.
Living in a slum community around Igembe market, Mama Kariuki faced the difficult task of caring for her family while also living with her own physical limitations.
Yet she decided that her circumstances would not determine the future of her family. She looked for a way to contribute to their wellbeing and to the wider community around her.
A small beginning
Mama Kariuki joined Mercy Organization of Persons with Disabilities, where members were practising Savings and Internal Lending Communities with support from DOMSPARK.
She began saving small amounts regularly. Over time, she became an active member of the group, contributing not only money but also her ideas and experience.
For Mama Kariuki, the savings group created something that had previously been difficult to access: an opportunity to build capital gradually and decide how best to invest it.
Two sheep and a new opportunity
With savings from the SILC group, Mama Kariuki purchased two sheep.
Despite her physical limitations, she dedicated herself to caring for the animals, with the help of supportive neighbours.
The sheep multiplied, gradually becoming a small flock.
LIVELIHOODS
What began with two sheep became a small but meaningful source of income and household security.
Mama Kariuki sold surplus animals and wool, turning her investment into income that could be directed toward her family's needs.
Investing in her children's future
With greater financial stability, Mama Kariuki focused on educating her three children — a son and two daughters.
She understood the value of education as a way of breaking the cycle of poverty and creating opportunities for the next generation.
Her children excelled in their studies, and Mama Kariuki continued to invest in their education, ensuring that they had the tools and resources they needed to succeed.
Her investment was not only in livestock. It was an investment in the future of her children.
More than a livelihood
Mama Kariuki's experience illustrates the wider value of inclusive financial opportunities.
For people with disabilities living in communities where formal financial services may be difficult to access, a savings group can provide a practical way to build capital, invest and make decisions about their own livelihoods.
In Mama Kariuki's case, that opportunity became a pathway from a small amount of savings to livestock, income and greater ability to support her children's education.
RESILIENCE & OPPORTUNITY
Disability did not remove Mama Kariuki's ability to build, invest and provide for her family.
Community support and access to savings gave her an opportunity to turn determination into something tangible.
Her journey is a reminder that economic empowerment is not simply about earning an income. It is also about having the confidence, resources and opportunity to make choices about one's own life and family's future.
Mama Kariuki's story stands as a testament to resilience, community support and what can become possible when women with disabilities are given the tools and opportunities to overcome challenges and contribute meaningfully to their families and communities.