First Lady Rachel Ruto marked the 16th anniversary of the Joyful Women Initiative on November 27, 2025, at Kasarani Stadium, highlighting its role in empowering over 240,000 women through table banking. The event featured success stories and future plans for digitization, while President William Ruto urged participants to invest in affordable housing and health programs.
The Joyful Women Initiative (JoyWo), founded by First Lady Rachel Ruto on August 29, 2009, in Eldoret under a Grevillea robusta tree with just 60 women, has grown into a nationwide organization promoting economic empowerment and financial inclusion. During its 16th anniversary celebrations on November 27, 2025, at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Ruto noted that the initiative has circulated over KSh 4 billion and helped launch an estimated 300,000 businesses. Currently, JoyWo boasts over 240,000 members across more than 16,000 groups, with KSh 2.8 billion in circulation.
The organization's core model, table banking, involves groups of 10 to 30 women meeting monthly to save and borrow, starting from a minimum of KSh 200. As Ruto emphasized, "Your character is the collateral. Your integrity is the currency." This trust-based system addresses barriers like lack of collateral and financial literacy, bringing services to community levels without requiring bank visits.
Success stories underscored the impact: Mrs. Gitobu from Meru expanded her dairy farm and built rental properties, while Diana from Nairobi grew a KSh 500 loan into a certified skincare and food brand. Looking forward, JoyWo is digitizing operations with mobile table-banking tools and digital reporting to reach women in remote areas.
President William Ruto, addressing the event, praised his wife's initiative, founded during his early political career. He urged JoyWo members to buy from the 40,000 social housing units in the government's 230,000-house Affordable Housing Program, participate in home ownership via savings in JoyWo and the Hustler Fund, register for the Social Health Authority under the Universal Health Program, and benefit from subsidized fertilizers for farming. The event was attended by Zimbabwe's Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara Rwodzi, representing First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa.