In Mombasa, a courageous woman named Charity Chahasi refused to be limited by the assumptions others held about her disability. When she discovered that jobs designed for persons with disabilities offered little dignity, few rights and negligible pay, she challenged the status quo — because she believed there was a better way.
Charity, together with ten other women with disabilities, founded what became the Tunaweza PWD Group. What began as a weekly meeting of friends turned into a collective of artisans and entrepreneurs. They pooled their resources through a small “merry-go-round” system, sold groceries and homemade items, and gradually built a model of self-reliance and mutual uplift.
The group soon branched into a diverse range of micro-business lines: handcrafted jewellery, reusable sanitary pads, peanut butter, decorative up-cycled plastic flowers and more. They embraced technology, adopting tools like mobile money (via M-PESA), business-wallets and digital payments to streamline their operations.
Their efforts not only improved livelihoods – they created pathways for dignity, inclusion and economic independence for women with disabilities. Through advocacy and demonstration, they influenced workplace practices and policies to recognise and support the contribution of persons with disabilities.
Today, the Tunaweza PWD Group stands as a living example of what people can accomplish when they look beyond limitations and lean into collective action. Their story is one of resilience, purpose and transformation.
https://newsroom.safaricom.co.ke/community/the-story-of-tunaweza-pwd-group/#video
