Artisan Highlight

Selina’s Story - How Imani Transformed her Life

Before joining Imani Collective in 2017, Selina Jimbi was caught between jobs and struggling to find the financial stability to support her two young children on a single income. Keeping them fed through occasional seamstress jobs was hard enough. She certainly had no plans to nourish their minds with a quality education.

Five years on, Selina’s steady income has enabled her to enroll her children into a boarding school for the best education she can afford. She can pay her rent, her hospital bills, and her school fees. Having the power to depend only on herself has brought unimaginable stability into her life.

This life-changing journey began when she seized the opportunity presented by Imani Collective.

She began working as an artisan in our Mombasa location, capitalizing on her prior seamstress experience. In the past, she only worked with garments, but Imani has given her the opportunity to work on a wider range of products than she ever imagined. With better wages, she’s free to graciously help those she cares about.

For Selina, more empowering than simple wages was her training on financial literacy and leadership. These have allowed Selina to develop further as an individual and promised a better tomorrow for her family.

Even her children have secured better opportunities. Imani offers child care while Selina is busy working and has supported a quality education for her daughter and son through sponsorship programs. While Selina may be more independent, she doesn’t feel alone. Team building activities and home visits make her feel like part of a large family that she looks forward to meeting every day.

Selina’s newfound joy shines through in one of her favorite hobbies, singing. You can hear her triumph and peace in the sound of her voice.