Overcoming the Odds: Strategies Used By Women Entrepreneurs in Milk Microenterprises in Kenya

Abstract

Kenyan women are increasingly participating in the microenterprise sector to earn a living for themselves and their families. However, they are constantly faced with numerous challenges that force them to rely on a number of strategies to counteract the unfavorable business environment they find themselves in. This paper examines the strategies used by women in milk microenterprises to ensure the survival of their enterprises in Kenya. The study was carried out in Nairobi, Kiambu and Nakuru districts. 108 women entrepreneurs participated in the study. Interviews and observations were used to collect data among women who were selected using stratified, simple random, purposive and snowball sampling methods. Strategies used by women to sustain their enterprises included accessing credit facilities from relatives and friends; using low level technologies; operating their businesses illegally to avoid heavy licensing costs; and managing their enterprises close to home. While these strategies allowed the women to operate their enterprises at a certain level, they are unlikely to encourage the growth and sustainability of women owned microenterprises. This call for policy interventions that can create favorable environment that promote women’s entrepreneurship and facilitate their effective participation in the microenterprises within the dairy industry in Kenya.