'I was determined to rise': Jackline's pride in shaping her children's future

At 5:30 AM, Jackline, a Kenyan mother-of-two, is already up preparing for the long day ahead. She bathes her toddler and then heads to the market at 6:30 AM to buy fresh vegetables for her shop. 

By 8:00 AM, she’s behind the counter, selling groceries and charcoal while also preparing porridge for her baby—and early customers in need of breakfast. Her shop is open until 9:30 PM, seven days a week. For Jackline, it’s a busy life, but one she never thought possible.

From Uncertainty to Independence

Her mother, a single parent, passed away when she was young, and Jackline left school after completing primary. Continuing her education was simply not an option.

"I accepted my situation as an orphan and someone who didn’t finish school but I still believed in myself and my abilities.

I was determined to rise, and I did it.”

Jackline is one of millions of young women across Africa working to build a brighter future despite immense challenges. ‘Taking the Alternative Path’, a short film produced by The Agency Fund, follows Jackline, Precious and Beatrice—three women in Kitui, Kenya—on the path to economic independence through the support of Educate!’s livelihood bootcamps. 

Produced by The Agency Fund

The Reality for Young Women in Rural Africa

Every young woman should have the opportunity to complete secondary school, but for many, that reality may be out of reach. Early pregnancy, financial constraints, and family responsibilities often force girls out of education, leaving them with few opportunities to earn a living.

By 2035, Africa will contribute more young people to the global workforce than the rest of the world combined, and around 90% of them are expected to work in the informal economy. 

Yet, around 50% of Africans of secondary age are out of school, and in some rural areas, only one in 20 young women is on track to finish secondary school.

Expanding access to formal education remains a critical goal for policymakers, but for the millions of young women already outside of the system, alternative pathways to employment are urgently needed.

Policy analysts increasingly highlight this gap. Speaking on the Center for Global Development podcast, Ruth Graham-Goulder, Senior Advisor at UNICEF, explains: “Most policymaking for adolescent girls is anchored in a central question: how do we stop bad things from happening to girls? But it often stops there. We need to go further and ask: how do we support and invest in this generation so that they have agency over their own lives and can become fully empowered women—including in the economic dimensions of their lives?”

Alternative Pathways to Opportunity

To bridge this gap, flexible learning models—including livelihood bootcamps—have emerged across the development sector. Educate!’s bootcamps offer a condensed, skill-building experience focused primarily on young women. Here, participants develop skills like financial literacy, marketing, and communication while launching real businesses.

Across multiple cohorts, Educate! is seeing consistent income gains of 50 to 150% after participating—a sign that these interventions are not just equipping young women with skills but setting them on the path to economic independence.

The Power of Self-Determination

Temina Mason, Co-founder of The Agency Fund, points out that the success of such approaches lies in fostering self-belief.

"There’s a need to invest in people, not just in the skills that we think they need… like how to operate equipment, sew, or run a barber shop. But also in their beliefs about themselves, in their ability to envision the future and move toward that future with intention, and in a sense of ownership and self-authorship.”

For Jackline, this belief has been life-changing. “I'm proud to be meeting my children’s basic needs—I put food on the table and ensure they receive an education. My dream is to grow my business and employ others. I also want my children to be educated, stable, and successful.”

Across Africa, young women like Jackline are proving what they can achieve with access to the right skills and dignified employment. Expanding alternative pathways won’t just transform their own lives— it will strengthen local economies and shape Africa’s future.