Mifuko Trust provides training and resources to women and communities in rural Kenya, helping them create sustainable income sources and improve their well-being. Trust innovates together with communities and partners to find new ways to connect local traditions with sustainable development solutions.
Next, you can learn about Mifuko Trust's activities through three strategically important focus areas:
Health and Well-being of Women and Girls
Mifuko Trust considers the health and well-being of women and girls to be a central aspect of social development. The Trust supports training related to sanitation and health. In particular, it focuses on improving sanitation conditions and menstrual hygiene as well as supporting mental well-being. This enables women and girls to participate fully in societal activities.
So far, Mifuko Trust has built 64 ecological dry toilets in collaboration with artisan women's families, trained 60 sanitation masters, and taught 40 women to sew reusable sanitary pads. We have also helped dismantle the stigma associated with menstruation within communities.
Ecological Renewal
The Trust's work emphasizes the revitalization of local ecosystems. We aim to promote practices that not only reduce environmental harm but also improve the condition of nature and support communities' adaptation to the impacts of climate change. A good example of this is the WASH and Grow! project’s agroforestry activities, which sequester carbon in the soil and support biodiversity. Central to all our work is educating women and communities on the sustainable use of natural resources.
We are pleased to announce that Mifuko Trust has received new funding from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs for the Sowing Equality project for the years 2025–2028. This project will support, among other things, the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and renewable energy among smallholder farmers.
Transformative Economic Growth and Entrepreneurship
Since both Mifuko and Mifuko Trust work with small entrepreneurs in rural Kenya, transformative economic growth is essential for Mifuko Trust. This means an economic model that not only seeks to reduce environmental impact but also actively improves and renews natural ecosystems. Our goal is to promote economic activities that restore natural resources, support local communities, and advance social justice while economic development continues. At the same time, we strengthen the continuity of project activities after financial support ends.
An example of this is an upcoming project that explores opportunities to align international voluntary carbon market standards with biodiversity markets. Based on the lessons learned from the WASH&Grow II project, we will conduct studies to assess carbon sequestration potential, identify sources of income, and find the best ways to implement the project. Additionally, we are seeking partners and investors both locally and internationally.
The project aims to promote local economic development and strengthen the resilience of nature. Specifically, this means that the expertise of the agroforestry ambassadors and women's groups trained by Mifuko Trust in seedling cultivation and agroforestry promotion will be utilized on a broader scale.
Author: Anita Lintula, Project Manager of Mifuko Trust
