Dr Jennifer Riria's money lending lessons learnt in 29 years

Kenya Women Finance Trust Jeniffer Riria. (Photo: Jenipher Wachie, Standard)

Exactly 29 years ago, in October 1991, Dr Jennifer Riria took a leap of faith by resigning from her job with a global organisation to rescue then struggling Kenya Women Finance Trust; an outfit that sought to finance women in rural Kenya. This was at a time when leadership in financial institutions was like an exclusive club for men. And this challenge was too attractive to pass on. So Riria took on reigns of a skeleton KWFT; one with not a dime or an employee to its name. And she would spend her early days on the job-hopping from one bank to the next in pursuit of finances for onward lending. Today, KWFT is a household name in all corners of the country having helped over a million women set up thriving businesses.  KWFT is an associate company of Echo Network Africa of which Riria is the CEO. She shares 10 lessons on money and business that she has garnered in the decades.

Borrow just enough. Never more