Looking Back on 2021: Mkono in Review

This past year was a plentiful one for all of us, full of surprises and challenges. In 2021, Mkono welcomed new members to the team, unveiled a refreshed logo, celebrated our 2nd anniversary, and organized one of our most important fundraising events. It was also a year of volunteer bonding activities, conversations with Allies, and interviews with Mkono entrepreneurs. It is clear that community was a major theme here at Mkono.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Entrepreneur Stories
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In 2021, we talked with a handful of entrepreneurs to hear their stories. Ann shared with us her insight on female entrepreneurship in Kenya and about her own experience in starting her content creation company. Lornah and Justine discussed how they were able to use their Mkono loans to activate their business. And with Caroline, we explored her entrepreneurial journey, and the hurdles she faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
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• To keep up with Mkono entrepreneur stories, head to this page.

The Mkono Team 

The Mkono community groups experienced volunteers across diverse professional backgrounds; from marketing to loans administration, Mkono offers a wide range of opportunities. This year, we met with key members of the team to break down the issues Mkono tackles, as well as the services we offer. With Declan, our country director, we talked about the financial landscape in Sub-Saharan countries. Jasmine shared with us her experience working as a success officer, and with Nam, we chatted about his perspectives on being a Mkono Ally.
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• To learn more about the Mkono team, see this page.

Mkono News

A few exciting things happened this year! In September, Mkono participated in GlobalGiving’s Accelerator program, raising over $15K. In October, we unveiled a refreshed logo. And in November, we introduced our Mkono moments, highlighting all the special memories from our volunteers, Allies, and entrepreneurs. Lastly, we explored the special partnership Mkono has with local Kenyan communities.
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• To get the latest news at Mkono, see this page.

2021 was awesome, thanks to you!

As 2021 is coming to an end, we take the opportunity to thank our readers for your involvement. Whether it be by donating, by sharing one of our posts, or by simply talking about us to your friends and family, your support was crucial in helping us carry out our mission. 
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In 2022, we hope to deliver a more comprehensive assessment of our impact this past year, through which we’ll break down how we were able to concretely help entrepreneurs. In the meantime, feel free to browse last year’s impact report.