Income Generation

The final element our program is focused economic empowerment through income generation (IGA). Economic empowerment is the last element of our work because IGA projects stand such a high probability of complication, disappointment and failure.

IGA programs often fail because an IGA opportunity’s profitability or demand was exaggerated, the priorities of the family or individual were not in line with efforts or commitments of the specific IGA opportunity, while it also possible the income generated from the project is consumed too quickly and not reinvested, saved, and used to maintain the business in the long-run. Despite these challenges, Omwabini, as a well integrated local charity and as a charity working very closely with it targets, is in a prime position to identify families and individuals that show high potential for successfully implementing IGA opportunities.

Omwabini has worked with families to establish IGA projects including fishponds, bee-keeping projects, and chicken projects for meat and egg sales.  We have supported orphans with bicycles to start boda-boda businesses (bike taxis). We have supported orphans who live in areas where there has been found to be an unmet demand for seamstress work to start their own business by supporting them with their own sewing machine. Omwabini has provided members of OVC families with start-up capital to begin buying and selling vegetables and other market wares. Omwabini also has two tractors and a lorry for its own income generation.