From Loss to Leadership: Jacinta’s Journey with Samli Beaders 
Five years ago, Jacinta’s life changed forever when she lost her husband to leukemia. Left to care for their three young children, she was faced with the urgent need to find stable and sustainable sources of income.
Today, as the secretary of the Samli Beaders co-operative, Jacinta is not only supporting her family, she is helping lead a community of women toward economic independence and collective growth.
Through her co-operative, Jacinta has gained skills beyond traditional Maasai beading. She has expanded into sewing and farming, diversifying her income and strengthening her economic resilience.
Through her participation in CDF Canada’s VOICE Project for Women and Girls, her journey continues to evolve.
Through a series of trainings, Samli Beaders members have built knowledge in governance and leadership, marketing, monitoring and evaluation, and financial literacy. These lessons are not only theoretical; members have actively applied them within their co-operative and businesses.
After attending marketing training and learning about the importance of social media for advertising, Jacinta began selling her beadwork through platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, reaching a broader customer base. For older members who are less familiar with these platforms, younger members like Jacinta step in to promote their products online, ensuring that all members can participate and benefit.
Financial literacy training has also had a lasting impact. The group now understands the importance of budgeting and saving, and they have set clear financial goals as a co-operative.
“Before, we didn’t know how to save,” Jacinta shares. “But now, we’re saving up for land.”
With a shared vision for the future, the co-operative is working toward purchasing land where they can build a permanent shop. This space will allow them to move beyond informal sales and establish a stable, visible business.
Jacinta’s story is one of resilience, leadership, and transformation. With the continued support of CDF Canada, women like her are not only rebuilding their lives, they are strengthening their co-operatives and creating pathways toward sustainable development and inclusive growth for their families and communities.
Growth in Unexpected Ways: How Samli Beaders Invested in a Greener Future
While the Samli Beaders Co-operative is known for its beautiful traditional Maasai beadwork, its members are also exploring new ways to strengthen their long-term sustainability. Recently, the group made a forward-thinking decision to invest in tree planting as a pathway to environmental and economic resilience.
This initiative began after members of the co-operative’s leadership team attended a CDF Canada event through the VOICE Project for Women and Girls. Each of the five attendees received a transportation allowance of 3,000 Kenyan shillings to support their participation.
Drawing on the financial literacy skills gained through earlier CDF Canada trainings, the women made a strategic choice. Instead of traveling individually, they decided to carpool, saving money and reducing their environmental impact. Through this decision, each member was able to retain a portion of the allowance.
They used these savings to purchase 20 saplings each. Together, they brought the saplings back to their co-operative and distributed them so that every woman could plant a tree at home.
What began as a simple cost-saving decision has grown into a meaningful investment in the future. By planting trees, the women are helping to reduce soil erosion and contribute to environmental conservation. The fruit trees, in particular, will also provide a sustainable source of nutrition for their families, supporting healthier and more balanced diets.
“We wanted to promote good nutrition and health for our children. Soon, they will be able to eat from the mango trees, the pawpaw trees…” reflects Jacinta, the co-operative’s secretary.
This story highlights how development can take shape in unexpected ways. While CDF Canada’s VOICE Project focuses on building knowledge and capacity through training, the women of Samli Beaders have demonstrated how these skills can be applied to drive locally led solutions.
By turning small savings into long-term investments, they are not only supporting their families today, they are contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future for their communities.
