Woman, 25, dropped out of school but now owns her own salon and barber shop (photo)

- Mildred Wanjala, 25, dropped out of
school but now owns her own salon and
barber shop
- Her parents were unable to raise
money for school fees
- She started off by selling vegetables
before she obtained a loan through
USAID to establish her small business
25-year-old Mildred Wanjala dropped
out of high school but her sheer
determination has seen her now
owning her own salon and
barbershop in Bungoma County.

Mildred's dream as a child was to
become a teacher. However, as the
first born in a family of seven, she
faced the added responsibility of
providing for her younger siblings.
Furthermore, her parents, who were
subsistence farmers on a small piece
of land, were unable to raise money
for her school fees, forcing her to
drop out of Form 1 in 2010.
Speaking during a USAID interview
recently, she said that dropping out of
school affected her: “ I felt like I had
failed the entire family. Their success
seemed to depend on mine. It was my duty
to set a good example and inspire them to
follow in my footsteps .”
She therefore worked hard to
overcome the negative perceptions
associated with dropping out of school
and avoided getting married at a
young age, which is something many
young female students resort to when
they fail to complete school.
She began to sell vegetables harvested
from their small family land in order
to contribute to her family's income.
Finally, in 2016, she learned about a
USAID-supported village savings and
loan association (VSLA), which offers
small amounts of credit on flexible
terms to the youth.
She underwent training and secured a
VSLA loan from that enable her to
start her salon and barber shop. More
than a year later, her profits have
grown and she is able to support
herself and her family as well.