Dear Friend,

This year, your partnership has helped bring real growth to communities, including in the region of Mombasa, Kenya. So far in 2026, 20 new Savings Groups have formed in our Mombasa program with 408 members, bringing the total number of active Savings Groups across Mombasa and the surrounding counties to 138, with 2,769 members. 70% of Savings Group participants in the region are women.

Behind these statistics are women and men coming together to restore relationships, develop skills, and start businesses to support their families. An inspiring example comes from deep in rural Kwale County, where six Savings Group members, one man and five women, faced the same challenge as many of their neighbors: too little work and too few ways to earn. Most of the women wove mats to make ends meet, but their output was small and buyers were hard to find.

Then came financial literacy and entrepreneurship training. The members began to see mat weaving not just as a traditional skill but as a real business opportunity, so they decided to work together. By pooling their skills, labor, and resources, they began weaving in bulk without sacrificing quality, and with the program’s help, they connected to markets that brought them steadier sales and better prices.