During the development of the Farming Excellence Center, Ramadhan became aware of the project and seized the opportunity to begin training in sustainable farming.

In Kenya, apprentices usually have to pay for their training. The Farming Excellence Center takes a different approach: Ramadhan receives a monthly allowance. This not only recognizes his work but also ensures he can fully focus on his one-year training program.

Ramadhan comes from a nearby area where his family owns land—and that is exactly what he plans to use. He is hardworking, reliable, and eager to understand sustainable agriculture in practice.
His goal is clear: after completing his training, he wants to apply what he has learned at home and gradually build his own sustainable farm.

Damaris is a young, energetic woman who reached out to Mama Afrika three years ago. After initial attempts to build a livelihood with a second-hand shoe shop and challenging experiences working in a garment factory, it became clear how difficult it is to secure a stable income under uncertain working conditions.

Together, a new path was defined: in March 2026, Damaris began a tailoring apprenticeship with an experienced trainer—an opportunity she embraced with great determination.

Thanks to the generous support of a donor, her training, living expenses, and her son’s school fees are covered. Her son is still living several hundred kilometers away with his grandparents, but Damaris is working step by step toward a future where they can live together again.

Josephine has been part of the Mama Afrika community since its early days. Shortly after the organization was founded, she trained as a tailor and successfully built a stable livelihood in the years that followed.

However, the pandemic changed everything: income collapsed while her responsibilities increased. After a tragic accident, Josephine now cares not only for her own son but also for her niece and nephew, including covering their school fees.

To secure her long-term income, she completed over a year of college training. With great dedication and perseverance, she achieved her goal and can now train young women to become tailors herself. This opens up not only a new source of income but also the opportunity to pass on her knowledge and create perspectives for others.

Christine approached us during our support trip in 2023 with a clear request: she did not ask for money, but for education. Through determination and perseverance, she successfully completed her training and now holds diplomas as a masseuse and hairdresser, and also offers manicure and pedicure services—skills that should open doors to hotel jobs.

However, the economic situation in Kenya’s coastal region after the pandemic makes it difficult to earn a living. At the same time, Christine carries significant responsibility: she cares for her late brother’s son, pays his school fees, and regularly contributes to the medical treatment of her seriously ill mother.

To build a more stable future, Christine is now looking for a small shop where she can fully utilize her skills and generate a reliable income.

Emmanuel, founder of the Gbekebii School of Art and Culture in Jamestown, Accra, continues to pursue a clear mission: providing access to education for children from the surrounding slum areas.

A major challenge remains that many parents depend on their children’s labor. A warm meal, financed by Mama Afrika, helps convince families to send their children to school.

Conditions are also difficult: the rented school building meets only minimal standards, with recurring structural issues—from roof damage to the lack of proper sanitation facilities. Despite these challenges, Emmanuel works tirelessly to improve the situation for the children.

The most urgent financial need is around €6,000 per year to provide salaries for currently volunteer teachers and ensure they can stay. Additionally, about €7,200 per year is needed for school meals. Encouragingly, a collaboration with Rising Classrooms – Verein für Schulentwicklung in Ghana is currently being developed to strengthen support for the school.

Eli doesn’t let life get her down. Whether it is malaria again and again, a serious accident or the total failure of her farm, she always finds new ideas to be able to provide for her livelihood.

She currently runs an online web shop for her own honey and is involved in her home community to get the farmers to rethink so that they work more with each other instead of against each other. Eli would like to start a permaculture training to be able to go even further in the direction of sustainability.

George holds a high school diploma and has extensive training in organic and permaculture farming. Together with him, the Farming Excellence Center is now being developed—a teaching farm for sustainable agriculture.

The goal is to provide hands-on training for young people in the region while also equipping farmers with practical knowledge of sustainable farming methods. The center will demonstrate how agricultural products can be processed and successfully marketed along the entire value chain.

In the long term, this will create a holistic agricultural system where production, processing, and marketing are organized and strengthened within local communities.

Riziki is a strong and resilient entrepreneur who refuses to give up. Over the years, she has repeatedly adapted her business in response to setbacks. Even health challenges have tested her strength, but never her determination. As a single mother of three daughters, giving up is not an option.

From poultry farming to fruit juices and selling fresh and dried fish, Riziki continues to explore what works. Over the past year, she has once again adapted her business: she now sells mobile airtime, bottled fuel, chewing gum, and fruit juices directly from her home.
She would also like to resume selling fresh fish but needs a new freezer, as her previous one was stolen during a break-in.

Riziki is also active in her community: she volunteers in a seagrass project aimed at revitalizing marine life and strengthening biodiversity along the coast south of Mombasa.

Julieta (correct spelling) runs a daily market stall in the market hall opened in 2023 in Mtwapa, north of Mombasa. Despite her strong commitment, the location does not generate enough foot traffic to ensure a stable income.

Ongoing health issues, rising living costs, and increased school fees for her son—now attending secondary school—add further pressure.

Nevertheless, Julieta remains determined. She is planning a fresh start and is looking for a small shop in a busy shopping street where she can fully apply her strength in sales and build a reliable livelihood for herself and her son.