Magdalene Mwebi: A story of Resilience, Hardwork and Success

Just get to Kisii town and get welcomed by the pleasant tropical climate that diffuses swiftly from the ridges on the horizon. It’s indeed a land of bounty.

Blessed with plenty of rain and sunshine Kisii is indeed a healthy place to be.

And one woman, Magdalena Mwebi fondly known in Kisii as St. Jude, is so popular that virtually everyone in this town is familiar with her.

But why?

Magdalena Mwebi, who in this article I’ll just call her St. Jude is an astute business lady, a family pillar and a role model to many people who simply call her “Mother.” She is also the founder of an Non Governmental Organisation still based in Kisii called Mwanyagetinge NGO.

But how did she start?

St. Jude tried her hand in business and without giving up or looking back, she embodied courage, dedication, commitment and strong will.

“In those days life was not easy. But one day an opponent came knocking and through the former Minister Simeon Nyachae, I secured an appointment with the then President Daniel Moi. Quickly asking me what I wanted, I told him to allow me to be buying sugar directly from KNTC and supplying it to other wholesalers and distributors. The rest is history as they say. I made good money then which I invested,” the kind-hearted, composed and intelligent St. Jude shares her story.

As a word of encouragement, St Jude urged fellow women to start small and not to despise their humble beginnings.

“If at the moment you can secure a loan of Ksh 100,000 to either start or grow your business, so be it. Start from there and with dedication and focus, you will make it,” St Jude advised a business meeting convened in Kisii recently.

St. Jude, now a widow, finds gratification and contentment in farming.

“I have kept dairy cows and I also farm the indigenous vegetables in my farm.

These cater for my daily upkeep whilst I also plough back some of the proceeds to community service.

For exams I have an NGO and our recent project was on creating awareness about the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV.

With support from development partners, the project was a success and we were able to create a positive impact in our society.”

Watching her farmhands go about their daily chores, St Jude presents a family pillar to her three children.
To tap more blessings, St Jude provides also for orphan’s catering for all their comprehensive needs including education, food, shelter and clothing.

Recently St. Jude won an award from I Change Nations (ICN) which was a global award in recognition of her dedication to community service.

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