Youth, women land three months offer on government loans

NAIROBI, KENYA: Women and Youth interested in government loans will have a three-month relief period before they repaying.

The Ministry of Public Service and Gender Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Rachel Shebesh Thursday said that women and youth who need the government loans will have a three-month grace period before beginning repayment, from the time they borrow.

Shebesh explained that while Uwezo Fund, which targets youth and women entrepreneurs attracts no interest, borrowers will be under no pressure to repay the loans until three months of borrowing before the government further reviews the directive.

This, she announced at National Youth Service (NYS) Headquarters at a charity drive targeting widows of Ruaraka. The charity drive was a pilot of an intended series of many more to come in different regions in the country.

Diana Kamande, leader of ComeTogether Widows and Orphans Organisation (CTWOO) who was widowed in 2012 revealed that her organisation has received over 40 calls from women across the country who have been widowed by Covid-19.

Some of the women, she said, were adversely affected by social issues after the burial of their husbands and that left many destitute and devastated, some being victims of their relatives and in-laws.

This comes at a time when women in Kenya still grapple with social injustices that stem from deeply rooted cultural practices.

“These problems are not unique to this COVID-19 era; they have always lived with us. If we only received about 40 calls from women widowed by Covid-19, how many more exist out there that remain unreported?” Kamande inquired.
Peter Lengapiani, Uwezo Fund CEO revealed that they have disbursed 60 per cent of the Sh2 billion annual allocations to women and youth groups in various locations in the country. He also encouraged the women to get training on technology and use it to the benefit of their business as the world is headed that direction commercially.