From Charcoal to Change: Inspiring Student Entrepreneurs in Rural Kenya

In the remote town of Kainuk in Turkana County, where access to clean water, electricity, and safety is uncertain on any given day, 17-year-old Alice has been quietly leading a transformation, starting from her own home, one bead at a time.

A Form Four student at Uhuru Girls High School, Alice’s story is one of perseverance, love, and fierce determination. Raised in a harsh environment, her childhood was shaped by the constant presence of lack – empty plates, unpaid school fees, and nights filled with silence, not because the world was at peace, but because hunger had drained the energy for words.

Her mother, a single parent, bore the weight of survival alone. With no formal job, she turned to burning and selling charcoal – an exhausting and hazardous livelihood that left her hands blistered and blackened with soot. But those same hands also held Alice up, ensuring she never missed school, even if it meant sacrificing her own needs.

“My mother gave everything,” Alice says. “Even when we had nothing.”

Education, however, was never guaranteed. There were times Alice stayed home, not because she wanted to, but because there was no money for fees or even for sanitary pads. At school, she often struggled to concentrate on an empty stomach. Yet, she refused to give up.

Her breakthrough came when she joined the Enterprise Challenge, a programme that teaches young people how to create, launch, and manage small businesses. For Alice, it was more than a competition – it was an awakening. She began to see possibilities in the things she loved, particularly the intricate beadwork woven into Turkana cultural traditions.

With this inspiration, she started a bead-making business using borrowed tools and leftover materials. In the beginning, progress was slow. She had no capital, and convincing people to buy was difficult. But Alice stayed committed, often working late into the night by candlelight, threading bead after bead with hope and precision.

Today, that once-small idea has blossomed into a reliable source of income. Her business now pays for her school fees, helps feed her family, and even supports her younger siblings. When she is away at school, her mother keeps the business running, marking a powerful role reversal that has turned them into business partners and co-dreamers.

What sets Alice apart, however, is not just her ability to turn a profit. It’s her impact. Her success has sparked a quiet revolution in her village. Several other girls have started their own small enterprises after watching her progress. Some make soap, others bake or weave baskets. A few even come to Alice for advice.

“They see me, and they start to believe they can do it too,” she says. “That’s the best part of it all.”

Still, the road has not been easy. Alice recalls moments of deep self-doubt, especially when she had no funds to restock beads or when sales were low. But she kept showing up – for herself, her mother, and for the little girls in her community who now look at her as a symbol of possibility.

Looking ahead, Alice dreams of expanding her business beyond Turkana. She wants to teach workshops, create jobs, and mentor other youth – especially girls who, like her, are navigating the intersection of poverty, gender inequality, and limited opportunity.

“My dream is to become a successful entrepreneur for myself and for my community,” she says. “I want to show young people that your background does not define your future.”

And to girls across Kenya and beyond, her message is simple but powerful: Believe in yourself – even when no one else does. Because what a man can do, a woman can do too… sometimes even better.

In a place where survival often overshadows dreams, Alice is proving that with resilience, vision, and a handful of beads, even the most unlikely beginnings can lead to change.