38-year-old Joyce Alinda lives in the Mathare slum in Kenya and helps women to become financially stable by teaching them beadwork and business skills. When the Local Economic Development programme was introduced to a group of pastors in Huruma, Kenya in early 2018, Joyce, one of the pastors’ wives, jumped on board to volunteer as a business trainer and mentor. “I was inspired once I learnt the vision of CAST” she says, “and I love community work and empowering others.”
CAST Kenya launched in March 2018 and has grown in leaps and bounds. In the past 9 months, already 102 people have successfully completed the Business Experience Course and 58 have graduated from the Business Growth Courses and are on their way to starting their own businesses.
Facilitating Bible study as part of the business training takes the teachings beyond pure academics, it opens the door for participants to be guided by Christian values. “I have seen the need to involve God in every part of life including our businesses. This has challenged me to encourage others to seek to run an honest business.”
Living in the Mathare slums with her husband and two children, Joyce has always been an active member serving her community. Her latest project has helped empower the women in her area through teaching beadwork and business skills that she has learnt from the programme. She also intends starting a much-needed day-care centre.
In a personal capacity, Joyce has also gained confidence in her ability to lead and now aspires to be a motivational speaker. She has since organized a fellowship group for the other pastors’ wives in her community and has been inspired by the programme to grow in her spiritual development by memorizing verses from scripture.
If you would like to get involved in training or mentoring entrepreneurs, or help support CAST Kenya, contact us at: info@cast.org.za or (031) 266 8830. Alternatively, contact the East Africa-Kenya Office at: joseph@cast.org.za or (+254) 772 667364.
