A 36-year old Sudanese woman has defied all odds by making charcoal burning stoves, which she sells for a living in Kakuma refugee camp at Kenya’s border with South Sudan.
Rifga Kornelio, a mother of six children, said she has been in the stove making business, which her father used to do way back, since 2013.
“I am a woman, but I do a job considered to be for men,” she said.
Rifga said the desire to fulfill her children’s needs is what drives her.
“It was a long time ago that I acquired this knowledge from my father and I am now able to use it for myself and family,” she said.
With this business, Rifga said she is able to provide food for her family.
Rifga, who hails from the Nuba Mountains, said while some customers buy the stoves directly, others place orders and she ensures her products are eventually delivered.
“I have customers who come and buy from home and I also receive different orders that I deliver. I sell one stove for Ksh 500,” she added.
Meanwhile, Rifga encouraged other women to join her business to place them in positions where they are able to assist their families.
Established in 1991 under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Kakuma refugee camp is home to approximately 165,000 refugees and asylum seekers of over 18 different nationalities.