Mogay Ahmed Omar & SAKA KALSON Milk Self-Help Group
Mogay Ahmed Omar is a single mother of five orphaned children from a marginalized, climate-affected community in SAKA ward, Balambala Constituency, Garissa County, northern Kenya. Facing rising family needs, she formed a ten-member self-help group to buy and sell camel milk at the Saka trading center, alongside a merry-go-round savings and loans scheme — turning a shared hardship into shared income and a path to financial independence for women in her community.
With our $500 Giving Joy microgrant, (generously donated by ARC Collective, a woman-founded and led media company), delivered in partnership with local implementing partner ALDO, the group is upgrading how it handles and sells its milk: aluminum milk storage containers, hygiene and sanitation supplies, basic quality-testing tools like a lactometer and thermometer, and record-keeping materials, along with basic training in bookkeeping and business skills for members. The goal is to reduce spoilage, improve milk quality, and build the systems the group needs to earn customer trust, grow sales, and strengthen its savings and loans activities for the long run.
The Expected Impact
This grant is expected to directly benefit the 10 women members of the self-help group, who will in turn support an estimated 50 to 70 family members through more reliable household income. An additional 150-plus community members — including local milk traders, customers, and neighbors — are expected to benefit from improved access to quality camel milk and stronger local trade, bringing the project's total projected reach to roughly 220 people.
Looking Ahead
With ALDO's support, the group will complete training on milk hygiene, quality control, and business management, and resume expanded milk collection and sales with stronger market linkages. From September 2026 onward, the focus shifts to sustaining that progress — steadier income, growing trust with buyers, and a savings and loans scheme built to carry the group through the dry seasons ahead.
