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Our Story
Our Story
The Maitũ Hope Initiative (MHI) is a Kenyan women-led social enterprise, formally registered as a company limited by guarantee.
“Maitũ” is a Gikuyu word meaning “Mother” or “Our Truth” (Maa Itũ). This is a deliberate naming reflecting our ingrained cultural philosophy: that women carry life, truth, continuity, and societal transformation. We are committed to the dignity, nurturing, and resilience of women in Kenya.
Founded in 2025 by women who have survived economic hardship, domestic violence, and workplace discrimination and missed opportunities based on gender, MHI is both a safe space and a bold platform. We have refused to be defined by all these.
Maitũ exists to restore dignity, foster resilience, give hope and create transformative opportunities for women across Kenya, especially those facing intersectional marginalisation due to poverty, trauma, cultural stigma, or exclusion from land ownership and economic resources.
Vision:
A community where every woman rises with dignity, heals with power, and thrives in ownership, voice, and destiny.
Mission:
To empower women and mothers with economic agency and personal dignity in a transformative culture rooted in sustainable agribusiness, gender justice, and trauma-informed healing.
We spearhead community conversations and cultural advocacy, challenging harmful norms, nurturing resilience, and restoring dignity. Our Healing and Justice Programme empowers women to rise as leaders, truth-bearers, and agents of transformation.
Our Pillars
Our Pillars
In Siaya’s warm, fertile soils, we cultivate Kamnyekra, orange-fleshed, and purple-fleshed sweet potatoes to nourish families and supply markets. OFSP is rich in beta-carotene for vitamin A, while purple varieties provide powerful antioxidants. As a regenerative crop, sweet potatoes protect against soil erosion and restore soil health. We are also piloting a smaller project in Nyeri’s cooler highlands, expanding opportunities for women farmers across regions. We also supply sweet potato vines.
We are actively conducting research and mobilising resources to advance sweet potato value addition, creating new products and market opportunities for women farmers.
The Seedbed: Nyeri County
In Tetu Sub-County, Nyeri, MHI operates a seedling nursery for African leafy vegetables and capsicums. We propagate crops such as sukuma wiki, managu, terere, kunde, saga, and spinach, alongside peppers, making seedlings more accessible and affordable to farmers.
This nursery is a platform for youth engagement. In a region where many young people face unemployment and the lure of alcohol, the nursery introduces them to propagation, agribusiness training, and business ideation, creating pathways to dignity and self-reliance.
Dairy Goat Rearing: Nyeri County
Maitũ Hope Initiative manages a herd of 10 dairy goats in Nyeri, laying the groundwork for a value chain that enhances household nutrition and generates new income streams for women. Dairy goats adapt well to the highland climate, require less space and feed than cows, and are manageable for smallholder farmers.
Goat milk is rich in protein, calcium, and healthy fats. It is easier to digest than cow’s milk, making it an ideal choice for children, the elderly, and individuals with lactose intolerance. As consumer demand grows for alternative dairy products, goat milk presents women farmers with a promising market opportunity.
Our Partners
Our Partners
AWCD-K
Deracious Kenya Ltd
Dairy Goat Association of Kenya
County Government of Nyeri
County Government of Siaya
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