In the quiet streets of Ngelewaya in Mwangata Ward, Iringa Municipality, 30-year-old Vaileth Kimbe stands beside rows of healthy chickens clucking inside a modern poultry house.
What looks like a thriving business today is, for her, a living reminder of years of struggle, responsibility, and resilience shaped by hardship and later transformed through support from a girls’ education and empowerment initiative.
Her life story began in difficult circumstances that forced her to grow up too fast. She recalls a childhood shaped by her mother’s long illness, which brought emotional and financial strain to the family.
Her mother suffered heart complications that later affected her mental health, leaving her dependent on care and support from family members and the community. For Vaileth, this meant losing the normal experience of childhood.
She says her early years were defined by responsibility rather than play. She had to learn how to cope with instability at home while still trying to stay in school. The situation forced her to mature early and take on roles that were far beyond her age.
Despite these challenges, she remained committed to education. However, attending school was not just about learning.
It was also about survival. She had to remain close to home to care for her mother whenever her condition worsened unexpectedly.
This created a constant balance between schooling and caregiving, a burden that shaped her teenage years.
While still a student, Vaileth began small-scale business activities to support her family’s needs. She sold snacks such as maandazi and bagia, using the little income she earned to help with household expenses and school requirements.
This marked the beginning of her journey into entrepreneurship, although at the time it was driven by necessity rather than ambition.
Her turning point came during her time at Luhota Secondary School when she was identified and supported through CAMFED, a development organisation that supports girls’ education and economic empowerment.
The assistance she received included school supplies, uniforms, and financial support for basic needs. For her, this support meant more than material help. It gave her stability, dignity, and the ability to focus on her studies without the constant pressure of survival.
After completing her education, Vaileth faced uncertainty about her future, a challenge common among many young people in rural areas. Instead of waiting for opportunities, she decided to create her own.
In 2021, she received a TSh 2 million interest-free loan through CAMFED to start poultry farming, focusing on Sasso egg-laying chickens.
She managed the business carefully and successfully repaid the loan. She later accessed another loan, which allowed her to expand gradually and strengthen her operations.
By 2025, her business had grown significantly, attracting further support. CAMFED provided a combined investment of TSh 60 million to scale up her enterprise.
Of this, TSh 26 million was used to construct a modern poultry house, while TSh 34 million went into purchasing chicks, vaccines, and supporting operational expansion.
The investment transformed her small project into a structured commercial poultry farm. Today, Vaileth manages 628 chickens that produce about 17 trays of eggs daily, equivalent to roughly 510 eggs each day.
Her facility has the capacity to hold up to 3,000 chickens, indicating strong potential for further growth.
Despite the business success, Vaileth’s vision goes beyond production and profit. She has established an initiative known as VIO FARM, through which she hopes to empower other young women, particularly those in rural areas who face challenges similar to those she once experienced.
Her long-term goal is to support thousands of girls through training in poultry farming and provide them with start-up capital after completing their training.
She also envisions establishing a dedicated training centre where girls can acquire practical skills, gain confidence, and build sustainable livelihoods.
For her, CAMFED remains more than a supporter. It represents a foundation that changed the direction of her life.
She describes the organisation as a guiding force that helped her move from survival to stability and now to empowerment of others.
Her mother, Ferister Nyalusi, watches this transformation with deep emotion. After years of illness and uncertainty, she now depends on the same daughter who once depended on her.
She expresses pride and gratitude, reflecting on how far they have come from a life marked by struggle to one filled with hope and dignity.
Local authorities also acknowledge her progress. The Iringa District Livestock Office continues to provide technical support to strengthen her poultry business, including guidance on feed production and disease control.
Officials view her enterprise as an example of how targeted support can create sustainable economic transformation at community level.
Vaileth’s journey reflects more than personal achievement. It tells a broader story of resilience, opportunity, and the power of targeted empowerment.
From a childhood shaped by illness and responsibility to a future defined by leadership and impact, her life now stands as a symbol of what becomes possible when determination meets opportunity.
Today, what once was a life of tears has turned into a story of hope, growth, and purpose.
