Kenyan Women Building Kingdom Businesses

For many families in Kenya, especially those serving in ministry, making ends meet can be a daily challenge. Pastors and church leaders often dedicate themselves to serving their communities while struggling to provide for their own families. Recognizing this need, CMF missionary Mary Leonard has been helping women develop microbusinesses that can create sustainable income while strengthening their impact in their churches and communities.

Mary and her husband, BJ, serve on CMF's Kenya Church Catalyst team. After spending their first year in Kenya learning Swahili and understanding the country's diverse cultures, they began investing in disciple-making, leadership development, and community transformation. One of Mary's passions is helping disciple makers and their families earn income through small businesses—work that recently reached an exciting milestone.

Nine Women, One Vision

In December, nine women gathered for the first cohort of microbusiness training. Eight of the participants were pastors' wives. All nine came with a shared vision: increasing their income so they could better care for their families and become a greater blessing to their communities.

The women participated in an intensive three-day training followed by monthly training sessions from January through June. Together they explored topics such as:

• Running a Kingdom business
• Leading Discovery Bible Studies (DBS)
• Basic business principles and economics
• Bookkeeping
• Writing a business plan

The goal was not simply to create profitable businesses, but to equip women to integrate faith, discipleship, and entrepreneurship in ways that would strengthen both their households and their ministries.

Seeing Fruit

Today, all nine women have either launched new businesses or expanded existing ones.

Their ventures include grocery stores, a butchery, a general store, and a salon. Most are already earning profits and have begun reinvesting those earnings by purchasing livestock, opening additional business ventures, or participating in local savings groups.

The results have been encouraging, but the journey has not been without challenges.

Over the last seven months, the women have weathered health concerns, rising school fees, increased fuel costs, an unusually wet rainy season, unexpected family expenses, and the loss of loved ones. During that same period, one woman welcomed a healthy baby into her family, while two others are preparing to give birth in the coming days.

Through it all, they have persevered.

Kingdom Impact Beyond Profit

Perhaps the most exciting outcome has been what these women hope to do with their success.

One participant used her profits to purchase four goats and plans to donate the tenth goat she raises to a widow in her community. Another regularly extends interest-free credit to neighbors who cannot afford necessities that day, trusting them to repay when they are able. A third gives food from her grocery store to families facing crisis situations.

Their vision extends far beyond personal financial stability.

Each woman hopes her business will generate enough income to support her local church, help widows and orphans, assist students with school fees, and meet practical needs within her community.

In other words, these businesses are becoming tools for ministry.

Pray for These Women

As this first cohort continues to grow and learn, Mary asks for prayer for each participant as they seek to honor God through their businesses and serve others through the blessings they receive.

Please pray for:

Abigael, Christine, Elisabeth, Jane, Josephine, Lucy, Mary, Suzan, and Vivian

Pray that their businesses would thrive, their families would be provided for, and their lives would become powerful testimonies of God's faithfulness. As these women pursue Kingdom-minded entrepreneurship, they are demonstrating that business can be about much more than profit—it can be a vehicle for discipleship, generosity, and lasting community transformation.