Empowering Women Through Entrepreneurship: Mutoba Kalunga’s Story of Growth and Opportunity
Through business training and access to financial support, Brave Heart Foundation and MCC are helping women in Meheba Refugee Settlement build sustainable livelihoods and create a better future for their families.
Building a Sustainable Future Through Empowerment
In refugee settlements, where families often remain for years or even decades, sustainable development is essential. While providing food, healthcare, and other basic necessities remains vital, Brave Heart Foundation also believes in equipping individuals with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities needed to become more financially independent.
On August 17, 2026, Brave Heart Foundation, in partnership with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), launched a five-day entrepreneurship and business training workshop as part of the Women's Economic Empowerment Project. The workshop concluded on August 21 and focused on providing women with practical business knowledge and skills to start, manage, and expand income-generating activities.
Alongside the training, the project provides access to revolving loans, giving women the financial capital needed to put their business ideas into practice and strengthen existing enterprises.
The goal is simple: to move beyond short-term assistance and empower women to create sustainable opportunities for themselves and their families.
Meet Mutoba Kalunga: A Mother of Eight Building a Better Future
One of the women who participated in the entrepreneurship and business training workshop is Mutoba Kalunga, a Congolese refugee, wife, and mother of eight children.
Before joining the project, Mutoba was already working hard to provide for her family through tailoring and small-scale trading at the local market. However, limited working capital made it difficult to purchase larger quantities of goods, maintain sufficient stock, or expand her business.
Through the Women's Economic Empowerment Project, Mutoba received both practical business training and a revolving loan of K10,000 (Zambian kwacha), equipping her with the knowledge and financial resources to grow her business.
Rather than relying solely on her existing tailoring and market activities, Mutoba expanded her business by adding palm oil to her existing stock, creating an additional source of income.
With the additional capital, she has been able to purchase goods in larger quantities, maintain stock, and reinvest part of her earnings into further business growth.
One particularly encouraging achievement is her ability to order eight 20-litre containers of palm oil for resale, a total of 160 litres. This represents a significant increase in the scale of her trading activities compared with her situation before receiving the loan.
More Than Financial Support
For Mutoba, the impact goes beyond expanding her business.
By combining the knowledge gained through entrepreneurship training with access to financial capital, she has been able to diversify her income sources, strengthen her business, and gain greater confidence in managing her economic activities.
As a mother of eight, these opportunities are especially meaningful. The growth of her business has strengthened her ability to contribute toward household expenses and provide for her children's basic needs.
Her story demonstrates how relatively small investments, combined with practical knowledge and opportunities, can make a meaningful difference in the lives of families living in refugee settlements.
Creating Lasting Change. One Family at a Time
Mutoba's journey reflects the broader vision behind the Women's Economic Empowerment Project.
Through entrepreneurship training, revolving loans, and continued business support, Brave Heart Foundation and MCC aim to help women develop sustainable businesses, strengthen their financial independence, and contribute to the wellbeing of their families and communities.
In a refugee settlement where opportunities for economic growth can be limited, initiatives like these offer more than temporary relief. They create pathways toward dignity, independence, and hope for the future.
At Brave Heart Foundation, we believe that helping people is not only about meeting their needs today, but also about equipping them to build a better tomorrow.
Mutoba's story is one example of what becomes possible when women are given the opportunity, knowledge, and resources to grow.
May God bless Mutoba and her family as they continue building a brighter future.
