A Future Woven by Her Own Hands: From Survivor to Entrepreneur.

In a small shop in Isiolo County, hope hums to the rhythm of a sewing machine. Though she cannot see the fabric beneath her hands, 26-year-old Sarah (name changed to protect her identity) guides every stitch with remarkable precision, transforming thread into pullovers, caps, and leg warmers that help support her family. A visually impaired mother and survivor of sexual violence, Sarah has transformed one of the darkest chapters of her life into a testament to resilience, determination, and hope.

Her business is more than a source of income; it is a symbol of dignity, independence, and possibility. But behind her success lies a journey marked by betrayal, trauma, and uncertainty. With the right support and an unwavering determination to rebuild her life, Sarah refused to be defined by her circumstances. Instead, she forged a new path forward, one stitch at a time.

Sarah's story is one of many lives being transformed through the Let It Not Happen Again Programme, a joint initiative of UN Women and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The programme is implemented in partnership with the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) Kenya and the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), with support from the Italian Government through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.

The project works to strengthen national and county systems to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV), while ensuring that women and girls, particularly those in underserved and climate-vulnerable regions such as Isiolo, have access to quality, timely, and gender-responsive essential services.

In counties where harmful gender norms, economic hardship, and weak enforcement of protective laws continue to endanger women and girls, the project has become a vital lifeline, connecting survivors to justice, psychosocial care, and economic opportunities that help them rebuild their lives and restore their sense of agency.

Sarah's early life was marked by hardship long before the violence that would later test her resilience. She completed her education up to Class Eight, but when her father passed away, everything changed. Her mother became the family's sole breadwinner, taking on casual jobs to keep food on the table and clothes on their backs.

For a young girl with big dreams, continuing her education suddenly felt impossible. However, well-wishers in her community stepped in, organizing support that enabled her to enroll in a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college. There, Sarah discovered her gift: a natural talent for tailoring. A family harambee helped raise funds for a sewing machine, a tool that would one day become the foundation of her independence.

"The machine itself costs KSh 150,000," she recalls. "During the mini harambee, I managed to raise KSh 70,000, which I have already paid. Since I have a good relationship with the seller, I make deposits whenever I can to gradually reduce the remaining balance."

After completing her training, Sarah faced a gender-based violence-related experience that brought significant challenges and uncertainty. With support and determination, she gradually began to rebuild her life.

It was her mother's steady support, along with the intervention of a local Women Human Rights Defender (WHRD), Alice Karoki, that pulled Gabriella back from the edge. Alice connected her to CREAW Kenya, one of the organizations implementing the "Let It Not Happen Again" funded and supported by government of Italy through Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. 

Through CREAW, Gabriella found more than emotional support; she found a pathway forward. The organization helped her secure funding toward her long-desired sewing machine through the community harambee, and enrolled her in training on business management, financial literacy, savings, and budgeting.

That training proved transformative. "The training came in really handy," Gabriella explains, "because it is through the skills I acquired on the budgeting courses that it helped me plan how to spend the grant that I received." She received her first grant of KSh 5,000, which she used carefully, guided by her new budgeting skills, to purchase thread and begin making children's caps, leg warmers, and sweaters.

The modest income from her sales enabled her to rent a small workspace and begin growing her business. When she later received a second grant of KSh 40,000, she expanded her stock of thread, shoes, and clothing for the mini shop she runs alongside her tailoring business, while also securing her premises for the future.

Today, Sarah's shop is more than a business; it is a valued community resource. Parents bring orders for school sweaters and hats, while local residents rely on her shop for clothing and other everyday essentials. Known for her craftsmanship and entrepreneurial spirit, Sarah has built a business that meets the needs of her community while creating a sustainable livelihood for her family.

"People in this area used to travel all the way into town to buy sweaters and other basic items," she says with quiet pride. "Now they can find them right here at my shop. I have reduced the distance people have to travel to access these products and services." Her younger sister assists her daily, helping to verify payments and manage customer transactions. It is a small but vital partnership that allows Sarah's independence and business to thrive despite her visual impairment.

Sarah is also an active member of the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), contributing weekly and steadily building her savings. She hopes the fund will help cover her daughter's school fees when she starts school next year, while also providing capital to invest in and grow her business. 

Perhaps most striking is how Sarah now sees herself. Where she once viewed herself as "a non-productive person within the community," she now speaks with confidence: "I am contributing economic value because I am using my skills and my hands to engage in activities that benefit my community." Today, she describes herself as empowered, productive, and proud.

"I feel comforted," she says, "because as a blind person, I am very passionate about the work I do, and I feel truly empowered." Today, she supports her daughter, contributes to her mother's household, and covers her own medical expenses, a remarkable turn-around for a young woman who, just a few years ago, saw no way forward. 

Looking ahead, Sarah dreams of expanding her tailoring business into a wholesale enterprise, offering a wider range of products and one day owning her own premises. She also recognizes that, as her business grows, she may need to hire a caregiver to assist with daily tasks. It is a practical step she is already planning for, reflecting not only her ambition but also her confidence in the future she is building. 

To other survivors of sexual violence and abuse, Sarah offers a message drawn from her own healing journey: to accept themselves and not carry shame for what was done to them. She also believes that finding purposeful work or meaningful activities can play an important role in recovery, helping survivors rebuild confidence, resilience, and hope for the future. "This will help them in the healing process," she says, "and also help them create resilience in their lives as they continue with their daily activities."

Sarah's transformation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of UN Women, OHCHR, and their implementing partners under the Let It Not Happen Again project, which combines survivor-centred case management, community-based Women Human Rights Defenders, and economic empowerment initiatives to address gender-based violence (GBV) at its roots. Through CREAW’s grassroots networks, survivors like Sarah are identified, referred, and supported through a continuum of care, from psychosocial support and access to justice mechanisms to financial literacy training and start-up grants that provide a genuine opportunity to rebuild their livelihoods.

This integrated approach reflects the project's dual focus: strengthening national and county systems to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV), while ensuring that women and girls, particularly those facing intersecting vulnerabilities such as disability, poverty, and living in remote or climate-stressed areas like Isiolo, can access the essential services they need when they need them most. The small grants that helped Sarah buy thread and pay rent were more than economic transfers. Combined with training and mentorship, they represented a deliberate investment in her long-term dignity, resilience, and self-reliance.