If you walk through Kibwezi’s market in Makueni County, Kenya, you will spot a shop with neat stacks of electronics and household products. The hand-painted sign above reads Angela’s Comeback Electronics & Malimali. For 25-year-old Angela and her three-year-old daughter, the shop is more than a business. It’s a pathway to greater stability and a means to move forward on her own terms.

At 5:30 AM, Jackline, a Kenyan mother-of-two, is already up preparing for the long day ahead. She bathes her toddler and then heads to the market at 6:30 AM to buy fresh vegetables for her shop. 

“I love fashion and shoes. People always ask where I get my shoes, then they ask me to bring them the shoes the next day,” says Precious, 20, from southeastern Kenya. What began as an interest in fashion is growing into a thriving business.