PictureMary Atieno's Chicken Farm
We believe that private business is a key component of the economic prosperity of any community, and, therefore, Blair in Kenya funds over 75 small business loans (about 75% of which are to women).  These loans are given at no interest and repayment becomes the responsibility of the entire community.  To date, 97% of the loans are on schedule to be repaid and, as the money is collected back, it is then used to fund other projects.  This credit has allowed business to grow and has brought jobs and wealth into the community.  Borrowing money in rural Kenya is virtually unheard of and therefore it is extremely difficult for the average person to raise money to expand or develop their business.  Community leaders volunteer to evaluate business plans and to coordinate the repayment of loans which has been very successful.  Here are three examples of the success of this program:


  1. Mary Atieno, a 48 year old woman whose husband died of HIV (very common in this area) borrowed $50 to buy chickens so that she could start a business selling eggs.  The business has become successful enough that she repaid the loan and is now also able to pay the school fees for her granddaughter.  It has also improved the health of the community by having more food available.
  2. Daniel and Pamela Oguna, a young couple with 3 children, borrowed $100 to build a kiln so that they could "fire" the cooking pots that they make.  Previously, they had to hire out a kiln from a neighbor, but now they save 10 cents per pot which enabled them to repay the loan and improve their business.  They have also hired a worker to assist them and are now looking to borrow additional money to purchase a used motorcycle so that they don't have to pay to have the pots transported to a seller.
  3. Joshua Otiendo borrowed $200 to start a Tilapia farm -- meaning that he had to dig out a pond and purchase the baby fish (and food). The first crop of fish was profitable enough that he repaid the loan and was able to purchase even more baby fish.  This too has improved the quality of life for all in the village.

We are in the process of putting specific loan proposals on this site...be patient.  Most of our loans are from $50-$200.
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