Hannah Wangombe was recently brought onto the KAWBO team to serve as the ABWN Hub Manager; serving as liaison between Vital Voices, the Africa Businesswomen’s Network (ABWN) and KAWBO.  Having recently obtained her Masters in Development Economics in England, Hannah recognizes the essential role that a businesswomen’s organization can play via its support of women in a growing and industrializing economy such as Kenya’s.  She contends that a successful businesswomen’s organization must address the needs of women while simultaneously offering them opportunities and serving as a voice for change and recognition within government and the international business community.   Starting small businesses, according to Hannah, has the potential to empower women economically and socially and pull them out of the “poverty cycle.”  An organization created for these small business owners can serve to ensure that this empowerment is sustainable and far-reaching.

In regards to KAWBO specifically, Hannah sees “immense potential”.  She is excited to be part of KAWBO and to lead KAWBO on a trajectory to increased relevance and credibility in Kenya.  It is her role, as she states it, to take advantage of KAWBO’s strengths (such as its influential membership and international partnerships) to “concentrate on taking KAWBO to the next level.”  In order to do so Hannah and her co-workers at KAWBO will develop new policies and procedures for the organization as well as organize and implement new programs that promise to address the specific needs of KAWBO’s members.  Hannah is confident that KAWBO will soon be a “credible organization to be reckoned with;” she will undoubtedly play a critical role in getting it there.

Watch a video profile of Hannah here: