Mandera County in northern Kenya faces severe socio-economic challenges, including poverty, food insecurity, and environmental shocks. With over 89% of its residents living below the poverty line, the county struggles with limited accessibility and frequent natural disasters. The Impact for Northern Kenya Fund (INK Fund), a $30-million initiative, addresses these challenges by providing catalytic capital to financial institutions and SMEs, fostering resilience, sustainability, and economic growth in underserved areas.
Prina Agencies, a goat farming SME in Mandera, received a $1,300 loan through INK Fund client, Dot Capital Ltd. This loan allowed the business to implement better livestock feeding and breeding practices, increasing sales from 50 to 150 goats per month and boosting monthly revenue from $2,200 to $6,600. Prina Agencies now employs 21 workers—76% women and 28% youth—and has expanded operations across the Ethiopian border, and introduced a vocational training for students.
Dot Capital, a woman-owned microfinance institution focusing on arid and semi-arid regions, received $2.5 million in loans from the INK Fund. This investment has financed over 1,000 MSMEs, the majority of which are women-led and agriculture-focused. By addressing critical gaps in capital access for entrepreneurs like Priscillah Kolonge, Dot Capital and the INK Fund play a vital role in empowering marginalized communities, enhancing their resilience, and promoting inclusive economic development.
