Background
What makes us different?
- We’re embedded at the grassroots.
- We co-design with communities, not for them.
- We don’t hand out aid; we build financial muscle, financial literacy & digital skills, and economic resilience from the inside out.
From the slums of Kibra to the drylands of Kajiado, we are transforming the informal economy into an engine for generational wealth and dignity. At SheEO, we’re not waiting for systems to shift; we’re building new ones.
What We Do
We equip women with business skills, financial literacy, and digital tools to launch and scale their microenterprises.
Mentor for Growth:
Our mentor network of youth-led and grassroots-based coaches supports women through every step of their journey.
Invest with Trust:
Through our revolving microloan fund, women access affordable capital, backed by a 90%+ repayment rate and a sustainable 10% interest model.
Advocate for Systemic Change:
We challenge the systems that exclude women and push for policy and financial reforms that level the playing field.
Where We Work
SheEO Foundation is active in several counties across Kenya, including Kiambu, Kajiado, Nairobi, Migori.
We’re piloting cross-border programs in 3 East African countries and laying the groundwork for regional expansion.
Our Why
Women in Kenya’s informal economy aren’t lacking ideas; they’re lacking access.
- To capital.
- To training.
- To digital tools.
- To systems designed with them in mind.
At SheEO, we see her. We back her hustle. And we stand with her as she builds a business, a legacy, and a future no one can take away.
From Grassroots to Global Goals
At SheEO Foundation, we don’t just talk SDGs; we deliver on them, every day, at the grassroots.
We are proudly aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically the ones that unlock economic justice, gender equity, and inclusive systems for Africa’s most overlooked women.
Here’s how our work shows up on the SDG scoreboard:
✅ SDG 1: No Poverty
We equip women in marginalized communities to build income-generating businesses, ending dependency, creating livelihoods, and breaking cycles of generational poverty.
✅ SDG 5: Gender Equality
Women aren’t just beneficiaries in our model, they’re builders, leaders, and decision-makers. We design everything to center women’s power.
✅ SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
From training to microloans to digital onboarding, we unlock dignified work and resilient microenterprises, especially in the informal economy.
✅ SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
We use low-tech, high-impact tools like SheEO-L3arn, mobile banking, and youth-led mentorship to digitize microenterprises and create inclusive infrastructure for rural and low-income-based women entrepreneurs.
✅ SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
We don’t work at the top; we start from the margins. Our accelerator is purpose-built to reduce systemic financial, gender, and digital inequalities.
✅ SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Change doesn’t happen in silos. We collaborate with local CBOs, global funders, youth mentors, and policy allies to scale what works.
Feasibility Study
Discoveries from our Survey with Micro-Entrepreneurs:
Among 100 micro-entrepreneurs interviewed, 85% identified a lack of financial skills as their primary challenge in business operations, often compounded by insufficient capital for scaling their enterprises.
Additionally, 70% of these entrepreneurs highlighted the crucial need for mentorship and financial management training as their key expectations from our Microenterprise Accelerator Program (MAP).
Interestingly, an overwhelming 97% of micro-entrepreneurs expressed that the primary barrier preventing them from accessing micro-enterprise accelerator programs or services is the lack of information and outreach.
Our Intervention
- We passionately strive to bridge the gaps through our Microenterprise Accelerator Program, designed to:
Upskill:
We equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills needed to master the financial aspects of their businesses, helping them navigate the intricacies of financial management.
Mentor:
Our seasoned mentors provide guidance, share insights, and inspire growth, ensuring entrepreneurs receive personalized support on their journey to success to unlock their full potential through our hands-on mentorship program.
Invest:
We understand the pivotal role capital plays in business growth. Through our social microfinance model, entrepreneurs gain access to the necessary capital, enabling them to scale their businesses, transforming their communities into flourishing economic hubs.