Victory Farms

Victory Farms, a leading tilapia producer on Lake Victoria, operates a vast “Mama Samaki” network that sells fish directly to street food customers. The company plays a vital role in empowering these women, who make up 80% of their sales, to generate income through fish sales. Victory Farms is committed to supporting the economic advancement of these women, many of whom come from low-income backgrounds.

In its nano stage, Victory Farms aimed to empower Mama Samaki by providing branded business tools to enhance their visibility and productivity. The company distributed packages that included pushcarts, dust coats, and solar lamps to 27 Mama Samaki across Mombasa, Nairobi, and Kisumu. This intervention led to an average 5% increase in kilograms sold by women in the nano over the 4-5 weeks following the receipt of materials, even amidst an economic downturn. Additionally, it improved working conditions for the women. However, challenges like dynamic pricing limited the overall impact, underscoring the need for additional supportive assets and strategies to maximize the benefits for these women.

The pilot phase will support the development of the wider Mama Samaki program, focusing on interventions that target women entering the fish-selling business  (Dada Samaki) and those operating at a fairly low level (Mwanzo). The aim is to help these women grow their businesses and substantially increase their incomes.