Eight Euros, Endless Change

Eight euros a week may sound modest, but for 100 women on Rusinga Island, the 100 Weeks programme Rusinga Island has unlocked freedom from exploitation, sparked thriving businesses, and reignited hope. The 100 WEEKS programme is more than cash—it is dignity restored, dreams rekindled, and a new generation of women building futures their mothers could only imagine.

If you were given eight euros a week for one hundred weeks, would it transform your life? For one hundred women in the serene, scenic hills of Rusinga Island, surrounded by the calm waters of Lake Victoria, the answer is a resounding yes.

Through a life-changing economic empowerment programme called The 100 Weeks, implemented by Victoria Friendly Montessori, a community-based organisation on Rusinga Island, five women’s groups from vulnerable backgrounds are carefully selected, mapped, and brought together to form a team of one hundred. Each group consists of twenty women.

Every woman receives a weekly cash transfer of eight euros for one hundred consecutive weeks; an initiative designed not just to provide temporary relief, but to spark lasting change. With this steady support from the 100 Weeks programme Rusinga Island, the women are improving their families’ lives while building resilience, confidence, small businesses, and long-term independence in Kamasengre, Suba North, Rusinga Island.

Indeed, the saying ‘when you empower a woman, you empower the whole community’ comes to life in the impact of the first cohort of one hundred women in the 100 Weeks Programme. Many whose businesses once struggled to break even have now stabilised, with some expanding or launching entirely new ventures.

Others, who once relied on fishing for survival, a livelihood that has exposed many women to sexual abuse and left some living with HIV/AIDS, have transitioned away from it, building independent businesses of their own. The transformation is not only economic; it is social, personal, and profoundly empowering.

The 100 Weeks Programme

I meet Jackline, the Team Lead and Coordinator for the 100 Weeks Programme at Victoria Friendly Montessori. She is a short woman with rich, dark chocolate skin, and even before she introduces herself, her warm, captivating smile puts me at ease. She radiates happiness.

Jackline explains that 100 Weeks falls under the organisation’s economic empowerment pillar. It targets one hundred women at a time, combining training with weekly monetary support of eight euros. The payments continue for exactly one hundred weeks.

After that, the financial assistance stops; but by then, the women are expected to have transformed their lives, built sustainable livelihoods, and no longer needed the grant. Participants are carefully selected—primarily by social workers—using clear criteria.

They must be women aged 25 to 45, permanent residents of Rusinga (with priority given to those from Kamasengre East and West), and have lived there for at least seven years. They must hold a valid national identity card, commit to remaining in Rusinga for the duration of the programme, and, most importantly, be active members of a group.

‘The first phase—the first group to participate—was a tough one, but we managed,’ Jackline says with a smile. ‘I wondered what difference eight euros a week could make. I thought some women might just buy mandazi and new clothes.

‘But I was so happy to see that this phase was a resounding success. Women have emerged stronger, empowered, and ready to lead. Now phase two, with its new groups, brings even more promise, with fresh faces and renewed energy.’

Jackline explains that the programme is not just about temporary cash support for a hundred weeks; its goal is much greater—to create permanent change in the lives of these women. From small businesses to farming, from saving groups to paying school fees, the women are using their resources wisely, building independence, dignity, and hope.

The joy is visible. Confidence is growing. And the community is beginning to feel the ripple effects. Because when you invest in a woman, you transform a household, a village, and a generation.

Jackline concludes by noting that 100 Weeks has strengthened the women’s economic capacity and invested in their personal growth, enabling them to transform not just their own lives, but those of their families and, by extension, their entire community. The grants are flexible, covering both economic and non-economic needs.

Women save part of their weekly eight euros within their groups and can borrow from these pooled funds as loans. ‘You can save half and take the rest, or decide to save everything and later take a loan to add to your weekly savings,’ she explains.

This system has allowed some participants to purchase land, build homes, and finance their children’s education. Through the 100 Weeks programme Rusinga Island, eight euros—roughly KES 1,130 depending on the exchange rate—adds up over time. By the end of the one hundred weeks, each woman will have received about one hundred thousand shillings in total, and they must be able to demonstrate the impact it has had on their lives.

The Beneficiaries

The first cohort, which began receiving transfers in 2023, graduated in June 2025, while the second cohort is currently underway. After my interview, I am eager to meet some of the programme’s beneficiaries.

My first stop is Litare Market, a bustling hub of activity tucked near the shores of Lake Victoria. The air is filled with colour, movement, and the rhythmic sounds of trade. Everywhere I look, women are busy drying omena—tiny silver cyprinid fish that must be perfectly dried to avoid spoilage and financial loss.

Above the market, a flurry of striking white egrets circles gracefully, some perched on nearby poles, their sharp eyes scanning the scene below. They are beautiful, but as I quickly learn, they are also notorious thieves. ‘You have to guard your fish closely,’ one woman tells me. ‘These birds can eat an entire sack of omena if you are not careful.’

It is a small but telling snapshot of daily life here—where resilience, vigilance, and relentless hard work keep the wheels of the local economy turning in this lakeside community.

I meet Beryl Awuor, a mother of five and a widow, whose warm smile only partly hides the challenges she has faced. Before joining the programme, she ran a tiny kiosk, barely making enough to get by.

Her greatest worry was not her own survival, but how she would see her bright children through school; especially with two of them preparing for their Form Four exams and dreaming of university.

She takes me back to the days when she sold fish, waiting late into the night for fishermen on the shores. Her voice grows heavy as she recalls what she witnessed. ‘Some of them would ask for sex as payment,’ she says. ‘I saw women exploited; young girls preyed upon. Some of these fishermen you see are animals.

‘I have seen children get pregnant, buried friends who died of AIDS, leaving behind their children. I could not bear it anymore. I must commend some women who are so tough that the men would not dare try to exploit them—but for many, it is not that easy.’

Determined to escape this cycle, Beryl left the fish trade and opened a small vegetable kiosk. Still, she struggled. When her group was selected for the 100 Weeks programme Rusinga Island, she felt hope for the first time in years. ‘I needed a place where I could access a loan. This programme was not only about the eight euros; it gave us training on managing finances, saving, and running a business,’ she explains.

The Impact

With her weekly cash transfers, Beryl took out a small loan from her group to pay for a water connection to her home. ‘When I connected the water, I started selling it to my neighbours,’ she says proudly. It is a simple but life-changing step; one that brought her extra income, independence, and the dignity of providing for her family without fear or exploitation.

She also used her resources to buy poultry, a piece of land, and most importantly pay university fees for her two children. With a bright smile, she says, ‘I eat three meals a day nowadays.’ Her small kiosk has grown into a thriving enterprise.

She now sells cereals, a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, and even charcoal. She has become a supplier of fresh produce to others in her community.

Just fifty meters away, I meet another beneficiary, 29-year-old Emily Nuani, a mother of one and a widow. Her shop is a bustling blend of business and colour: racks of neatly arranged clothes on one side, fresh fruits and vegetables on the other.

Emily tells me she began with vegetables alone, but she has expanded into selling clothes as well—bringing in a healthy profit. Her earnings have allowed her to buy a water tank for her family, fence her home, and even build her own house. She has also connected water to her property.

Josephine Atieno, 45, is among the women joining the second phase of the 100 Weeks programme Rusinga Island. A mother of eight and married, Josephine runs a small salon; but without proper equipment, her work has been limited. With the programme’s support, she plans to take a loan to buy the tools she needs and expand her business. She also dreams of buying a cow, which she will name Tekeleza—after the project that is giving her this new start.

Winnie Adhiambo, 28, a mother of five, shares the same excitement. She is a tailor, but she currently works on someone else’s sewing machine, paying a fee for its use. Her goal is to buy her own machine and fabric so she can finally open her own shop. For Winnie, the programme is not just about earning money; it is about securing her children’s future.

Change, however, is rarely a straight path. It unfolds gradually, at its own pace, and the 100 Weeks journey has faced its share of challenges. Some start-up businesses have collapsed, forcing women to regroup and try again.

In the early days of training and induction, a few participants struggled to adapt, leading to some being dropped from the programme. Yet, even with setbacks, the resilience of these women and the lessons learned along the way continue to drive the programme forward.

Litare Market is now buzzing with more economic activity than ever before—more businesses, more transactions, and ultimately, more money circulating within the community. While the market’s roots are in fishing, its transformation is evident in the diversity of goods and services now available.

In the same area, Victoria Friendly Montessori has been running the Kamasengre Water Project. Together with the 100 Weeks programme, these initiatives have boosted local purchasing power, with more families buying a wider variety of food. Stalls are stocked with fresh, healthy vegetables; clear signs of improved nutrition.

The training provided to women has instilled a belief that change is possible, and its ripple effects are felt in both households and the wider community. Where, 30 years ago, many women appeared weary and worn down, today you find vibrant, hopeful women leading the way forward.

With the first cohort of five groups, the savings culture they have built continues to grow…