Her Story

One girl can become an entrepreneur

Name

Rahma

Graduated

2018

School

Cooperative University of Kenya

Before

Where her story started

Rahma’s story started in high school: Her dad lost his job just as she was starting high school, so she became the girl who was constantly sent home because her family couldn’t afford to pay her school fees. It wasn’t just about missing classes or falling behind, it was about the embarrassment of it all.

In Form One, a student even approached Rahma to ask if she was the new girl from Kibera who came to school without supplies. She was, and it was known not just by her, but by her peers, making Rahma feel different, less than—both in material things and in her confidence.

But, even in the face of adversity, Rahma dreamt of more: An education and life beyond the walls of Kibera. She knew her dream was limited by circumstances beyond her control, so her future felt unclear. But she held onto hope, and hope brought our founder, Lotte, to her door—twice.

DURING

Her One Girl Can experience

Rahma met Lotte before she’d even founded One Girl Can: Lotte and her family visited Rahma’s primary school in Kibera when she was just eight years old. Eight years later, Lotte returned, searching for the little girl she’d met. In her place, she found a 16-year-old struggling to pay her high school fees.

Rahma had received offers of marriage, but—unlike many Kenyan men—Rahma’s father turned them all down. Perhaps for this moment: Lotte offered Rahma a high school scholarship. In Rahma’s words, “That moment became a turning point in my life in a way I could have never imagined.”

Throughout her One Girl Can programming, Rahma noted the conferences helped build the confidence she lacked. They made her realize she belongs in the same rooms as smart, powerful women, while her One Girl Can training and interning prepared her for her first job.

“I have a hunger for success. When you stay in one place, it’s easy to not realize what’s possible—but now, I do.”

Rahma

One Girl Can Graduate & Entrepreneur

AFTER

The next chapter of her story

Today, Rahma has fulfilled the dream she never though possible: She graduated from university with her Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations & Advertising. She is the founder of a cosmetics and fashion brand, volunteers with NGOs in her community, and now dreams of continuing her education.

To her sponsor, Rahma says, “Thank you for believing in me when no one else did—even myself. I can now walk into any room, connect with people, and express myself without fear or intimidation, something I couldn’t have imagined before One Girl Can.”

Rahma became an entrepreneur because one girl can do anything.