Mama Biashara has been involved in working with the very poorest of families in slum areas across Kenya since 2006.
Initially it was simply giving funding for food, house rent, education in a kind of vague personal way, funded by my work making TV shows. But having spent more and more time with these women, in 2008 Mama Biashara proper was born.
In 2008, Kenya erupted into violence post-election. Nairobi was burning and inter-tribal tension boiled over. Homes were torched and, generally, women had to grab their children and run. Most fled to an area outside Nairobi called Jamhuri Park. Big charities went there in the daytime with tons of food aid, ticking many boxes for their Annual Returns, even though it was was promptly hi-jacked by vendors and brokers, leaving the women and children with nothing. We went at night, rescued twelve mothers with many children, found them a place to stay for the night and came back the next morning to talk. I had no idea what I might be able to do for these women, who now had absolutely nothing. So I asked them. They said they had discussed this, and that each of them had had a small business until the night of the attacks – one selling panties, another beans, another bunches of local greens etc. Small businesses at subsistence level.
They said “if you can help us to start the businesses again, we will take it from there.” That was my light bulb moment. That was when Mama Biashara was created.
