Hormud SHG

Patrick sharing with members of the Hormud SHG

This week, Erica and the Canadian Baptist Ministries Self Help Group project team are leading a series of training workshops with the women of the Hormud Self Help Group from Eastleigh. While two of the women had been members of the 2009-2011 Iftin Women’s Literacy project of CBM and the Eastleigh Community Centre, the other five members of the group are completely new to the CBM program. Over the past 27 weeks, the Hormud members have been working together to build a strong support system together as they save money and encourage one another with family issues and challenges. The money that they have been saving will be used as seed capital to start a small business.

“Hormud is one of four groups within the Self Help project that have completed the first two levels of SHG training this year and are ready to start skills training and micro enterprise development,” shared Erica. “Over the next two months, each of these groups will receive training and receive the help of matching grants to support the start up costs of their businesses. Before a group can receive this financial assistance, they need to complete their skills training and, working with Aisha and Patrick, to create a simple business plan. Then over the following months, we will walk with the ladies as they follow through with their plan and get on their feet.”

The Hormud ladies are excited to be starting a business making high quality scarves that are worn by Somali women throughout Eastleigh. The scarves are also a big hit with non-Muslim women as well. Please pray for the women of Hormud as they work together to improve the lives of their families. They desire to live up to their name “Hormud”, which is a Somali word for leadership. “We want to be leaders in our community,” shared one group member. “Together we want to have a better future!”


We hope to have a few brief audio interviews from both the North Eastern Province and Eastleigh ministries online in the coming week. Please check back on our blog for more information, or see our podcast site at www.fivekennys.podbean.com

Patrick, Aisha and Erica at Heart Lodge, Nairobi