A loan helped enable affordable credit for more than 700 women entrepreneurs in rural Kenya.


Cherehani's story

In Kenya, the annual credit gap for women entrepreneurs is estimated to be more than USD $1.5 billion as regional lenders typically only serve around 1/3 of the female population. Most women work or run businesses in the informal economy, and face numerous difficulties including pay and promotion disparities.

Cherehani is a fintech social enterprise that combines technology with a human approach, providing credit to women micro-entrepreneurs in rural and underserved markets. The model is built on top of a proven micro-savings group structure. Cherehani provides affordable credit coupled with market information and financial education delivered via their proprietary app and one-on-one consultation.

Cherehani has delivered its financial products & services, including asset financing for sewing machines, water tanks, irrigation kits, and other productive assets to 18,000 women and adolescent girls in 8 counties in rural Western Kenya, enabling an average gain in monthly income by $62 for their customers.

A loan of $200,000 will enable more than 725 women micro-entrepreneurs to access productive assets like water tanks, sewing machines and drip irrigation kits. This is Cherehani’s third loan through the Kiva Social Enterprise program. View their previous loans here and here.


This loan is special because:

It enables women entrepreneurs access to finance and assets to increase their income.



Loan details


Lenders and lending teams




Loan details