This is as twenty-five women-led Agri-SMEs graduated from the Women in Agribusiness programme, attaining relevant business management skills, financial literacy, and increased access to finance. Led by Family Bank’s Queen Banking and Agribusiness unit, the program included hands-on training and coaching, where participants were fully funded by Aceli Africa.
Women in Agribusiness Programme Strengthens Skills and Unlocks Opportunities
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Family Bank Chief Retail Officer Phyllis Kimani emphasized that empowering women in agriculture has numerous other beneficial effects. “The barriers to women’s economic growth often emanate from historical marginalization and structural inequalities. At Family Bank, we are committed to supporting women across all sectors to overcome these barriers and grow their businesses into integral pillars of Kenya’s economy,” she said.
The Women in Agribusiness program brought together participants from different parts of the agricultural value chains, equipping them with practical business tools and strategies for sustainable enterprise building.
Mastercard research shows that while 35% of Kenyan women pursue opportunities in agriculture, lack of funding and financial resources is the biggest challenge. Almost half of women surveyed cited better training in business skills as critical for scaling their businesses.
So far, five SMEs have already accessed financing facilities totaling KES 38 million through the programme, demonstrating how the Women in Agribusiness programme is creating tangible impact through linking business skills development to financial access.
The partnership between Family Bank and Aceli Africa is part of its long-term commitment to support small and medium-sized enterprises in agriculture and beyond.
“The Women in Agribusiness programme is more than training; it’s a platform for empowerment, growth, and lasting impact,” Kimani added.
The programme is supported by the wider mission of Family Bank: transforming lives across Africa through retail and SME banking. With its network of 96 branches in 32 counties, serving over 1.3 million customers, Family Bank has continued to champion innovations in digital banking and financial inclusion, with several awards for customer service, social impact, and support to SMEs.
Success for the 25 women within the Women in Agribusiness program demonstrates the capacity of well-designed initiatives to strengthen not only business capacity but also pathways to education, financial independence, and sustainable livelihoods.
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