What you'll learn in this article:
The story of Lucy, a retired teacher and farmer in Nairobi
How lack of access to capital holds back small businesses
More about Jibu, an innovative clean water social enterprise
Why expanding access to capital is critical for solving global challenges
On a recent trip to Nairobi, Kenya to visit with Kiva partners, borrowers, and staff, I had the privilege of meeting Lucy, a retired teacher and farmer. When delays in her government pension left her without a steady income, she turned to farming full-time. Seeking to expand beyond her banana and avocado trees, she started raising chickens, teaching herself everything she could through YouTube, from where to buy feed to how to optimize growth cycles.
Equipped with this new knowledge and backed by a Kiva loan, Lucy began reinvesting in her land and expanding her operations, leading to a bustling poultry business. Her drive was clear; she isn’t just farming, she is building a livelihood that benefits her community and can be passed to future generations. With every challenge, Lucy found a way forward.
What stands out about Lucy’s story isn’t just her determination, but how deeply it reflects the experiences of so many entrepreneurs I’ve met, not only in Nairobi, but across so many of the countries where Kiva works. Whether it’s Lucy, her neighbor Nancy, an entrepreneur running two successful businesses, or countless others, the pattern is strikingly similar: the drive and ideas exist in abundance, but what’s missing is access to capital. Entrepreneurs are already solving problems in their communities; what they need is the financial fuel to go even further.
Funding fuels entrepreneurship and social impact
This same spirit shows up in the work of Kiva’s social enterprise partners. I visited the Nairobi office of Jibu, a social enterprise that provides clean water to communities in Africa through a network of local franchisees. Instead of operating every outlet themselves, Jibu trains and supports local entrepreneurs with the tools and financing they need to run their own water businesses and serve their communities.
We met several Jibu franchise owners and were moved by each of their stories. We heard from entrepreneurs who had grown from a single bottling unit to multiple locations and a team of employees, and others who were just starting out but whose lives were already changed by the stability of a guaranteed income. One of the most impactful moments was hearing from an entrepreneur who passionately shared how his Jibu business allowed him to gain something even deeper: respect in his community.
When I asked Jibu’s founder, Galen Welsch, what more capital would enable, he said simply: “We could expand immediately. Every additional loan means another Jibu franchise launched. More water, more jobs, more impact.”
Jibu is exactly the kind of partner Kiva was made to support. Their model is scalable, sustainable, and life-changing. Without affordable capital, this growth simply wouldn’t happen.
This is why Kiva exists: to unlock opportunity. Opportunity for incredible social impact-focused businesses like Jibu, or Zuri Health, a telehealth services social enterprise using SMS and mobile clinics to reach underserved communities with critical health screenings. Or opportunity for individuals like Lucy, who are building income, breaking cycles of poverty, and providing valuable services to their local communities.
The bigger picture: capital unlocks solutions
What became clear to me in Nairobi is something we see across Kiva’s work globally: people know how to solve the challenges in front of them. Entrepreneurs like Lucy have the ideas, the ingenuity, and the determination. Organizations like Jibu have scalable models that uplift entire communities.
What they need is access to the right kind of capital at the right time.
I am more convinced than ever that we can solve some of the world’s biggest challenges, from poverty and access to healthcare, to clean water and education access, if we can figure out how to get resources into the hands of those who are already building solutions.
Access to capital is a human right
This visit with our Nairobi-based partners and team was a powerful reminder of what access to capital really means. Every Kiva loan is more than just a financial transaction. It represents the expansion of opportunity and the chance for everyone to have the tools they need to build a better future.
Let’s continue doing our part to make sure opportunity is not the privilege of the few, but a right for all.
With gratitude, 🙏💚 Vishal Ghotge CEO, Kiva
