Lemlem's New Business
Lemlem Betesilase is an Ethiopian Oromo refugee who has been living in Kenya since 2009. In 2019, she joined one of RefuSHE’s Women’s Ambassador Groups to improve her savings and take out a loan to start a new business.
Lemlem is a skilled hairstylist who, for many years, provided hairdressing services to customers in different salons across Nairobi. She often worked on a commission or rented a workspace in an established salon to earn her livelihood. To make sufficient income, Lemlem was forced to work long, demanding hours. She did this until she gave birth to her son in 2018. After becoming a mother, Lemlem quickly realized that she could neither carry her baby to work every day nor afford a nanny to look after her him when she was away.
To survive, Lemlem quit her hairstyling job and became a street vendor. Every morning, she would wake up early to feed her son, prepare hot tea to sell on the streets of Eastleigh, strap her infant son to her back, and head out to sell the tea around local shopping stalls and malls. Business was not as good as hairdressing, but it helped pay the bills and allowed her to take care of her child which was Lemlem’s top priority.
To quell rising infection rates during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the Kenyan government put the neighborhood of Eastleigh under a month-long lockdown. Restricted movement in and out of the area heightened frustrations. Many people struggled to afford food and keep their businesses afloat. Lemlem’s tea business suffered. Her customers were no longer willing or able to buy from her. There was no help nor hope apart from the safety net of support extended by RefuSHE and the Mastercard Foundation. This financial assistance helped Lemlem survive. She was able to pay her bills and provide for her son during an otherwise extremely trying time.
At the tail end of 2020, Lemlem took a bold step and decided to start her own salon. She successfully applied for a loan from her Women’s Ambassador Group which helped her secure space and buy equipment for her new venture. Given her skill, talent, and dedication, Lemlem’s business has grown significantly since she opened its doors in January 2021. Today, she employs three other hairstylists and offers a range of services to her growing customer base.
Lemlem is grateful that running her own salon business has provided her with the freedom to spend more time with her son and increase her income. She acknowledges that the support she received from RefuSHE’s partnership with the Mastercard Foundation helped her establish the successful venture and become the improved businesswoman she is today. Lemlem is looking forward to growing her business and expanding the services that she offers in her salon.