Susan Kinyua, Kenyan economist: “I have given up the money that comes from working in a bank and I am much happier”

Susan Kinyua (Meru, 54 years old) is a lucky Kenyan. She has three sisters and one brother. “It is not common in Kenya for families to put equal interest in the education of men and women,” says Kinyua. She was able to study economics and this Wednesday she was awarded the 2024 Harambee Prize for the Promotion and Equality of African Women. After 12 years of work at Barclays Bank, she is now promoting the Fanikisha project (which means “breakthrough” in Swahili), within the Kianda Foundation, which has already trained more than 4,500 women from 90 villages in the country in business skills so that they can start their own businesses. “I have given up the money that comes from working in a bank and I am much happier,” she says during an interview with this newspaper at the Harambee headquarters in Madrid. Her desire to spread her knowledge and become aware of the problem of illiteracy among rural women from Kenya was what made Kinyua change his professional focus. “They ask for loans to start their businesses and they deceive them. They access these with such high interests that they end up in debt,” she points out. Another problem that she has identified for the advancement of Kenyan businesswomen is lack of time. “They take care of the children, the house and they have to work because the man's salary is not enough to support the family,” he explains. The age range of the women who attend this training project ranges from 30 to 30. 50 years old and 30% of the participants are young. “Kenya is a young country, 60% of the population is,” says Kinyua. She insists that many have had to leave school at an early age due to becoming pregnant. “They carry a backpack of problems on their backs that they are not aware of,” she says. Depression and stress are some of the symptoms that the Kenyan has seen in her students. For this reason, she decided to promote mental health sessions. She herself is even studying to be a psychotherapist.Susan Kinyua at the Harambee headquarters in Madrid this Wednesday. INMA FLORES From a Catholic family, Kinyua boasts that women of different religions coexist in her program. In addition to Catholics, there are Protestant Christians, Muslims and, although few, also Jews. All of them are small business owners. Mobile food stalls, beauty centers, clothing and jewelry stores or vegetable stores. “They need to be able to sustain these businesses to be self-sufficient.” She remembers the case of Cecilia, one of the beneficiaries of the project. Cecilia is a mother of five children. She felt that she couldn't take care of her family and her pressure made him want to end her life. An acquaintance of hers encouraged her to attend this business training and although she initially refused, in the end it changed her life. “Now she runs a food establishment,” she says excitedly. Kinyua will allocate the €10,000 of her prize, sponsored by the hair care brand Rene Furterer, to the program, an amount that is much higher in Kenya due to the cost of the life. The price of the project is 350 euros per participant. “We need to help the largest number of women, with the diploma we give them it is easier for them to access microloans and for them to be reliable. In the end it is the most difficult for them, but the most necessary to promote trade,” she says. Kinyua admits that she does not like the image that the world has of Africa. “Of course we could be better off financially. We have problems, but like everywhere.” For her, Kenya is “beautiful and picturesque.” A place where there are valleys and snow. But she, she reiterates, that the only thing that is projected from the African continent in this matter is poverty. She suggests there are plenty of ambitious projects waiting to get a chance. For this reason, and when asked about future job aspirations, she emphasizes that she will continue promoting activities that make “her country grow.” She thinks that for that, we have to take care of women. “Kenya, for Kenyan women” is her motto. You can follow Planeta Futuro on xFacebook, Instagram and TikTok and subscribe to our newsletter here.