The small village of Nyalenda in rural Kisumu has witnessed a remarkable transformation over the past year, thanks to CISS's table banking initiative that has empowered local women to take control of their financial futures.

Led by community mobilizer Grace Atieno, the program has enabled 25 women to pool their resources, provide small loans to members, and develop micro-enterprises ranging from vegetable farming to handcrafts production. The group, which meets weekly under a large acacia tree, has seen household incomes increase by an average of 40% since the program's inception.

"Before joining the table banking group, I could barely afford to send my children to school," says Mary Akinyi, one of the participants. "Now I run a successful poultry business that not only feeds my family but also generates enough profit to pay school fees and save for the future."

The initiative combines financial inclusion with comprehensive business skills training, ensuring that participants not only access capital but also develop the knowledge needed to build sustainable enterprises. Weekly sessions cover topics such as basic accounting, market analysis, and product diversification.

What makes this approach particularly effective is its community-centric design. Rather than imposing external models, the program builds on existing social structures and cultural practices of collective resource mobilization common in many African communities.

CISS plans to expand this successful model to ten additional villages in the coming year, potentially impacting over 250 families across the region.