Meet Leah: Weaving a Dream, Stitching a Future

Written By Marcus Olang'

Speaking animatedly, in a black-and-white poncho that is the product of her own hand, Leah shares the mantra she now lives by: "Invest in yourself - you are worth it."

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Think, for a moment, about the quiet creators. The ones whose hands are rarely still, whose minds are often lost in the delicate dance of pattern and texture. Perhaps it’s a neighbour, a friend, or even a fleeting image you’ve seen - someone pouring their soul into a craft, not for applause, not for profit, but for the sheer, unadulterated love of making. These are the passions that often bloom in the background, unseen, known only to a few. What if that quiet dedication, that hidden spring of talent, held the key to something more, something that could reshape a life?

For Leah, this deep-seated passion was crochet. 

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Her home county in Kenya is something of a paradise to an introverted creative: Lush greens, temperatures that are just right all year round, the frequent rain showers that invite you in. Perhaps it was the intricate context of this place that first inspired Leah - or perhaps it was something that was always in her, guiding her fingers as she spent countless hours weaving threads, transforming simple yarn into wonderfully complex patterns. For years, this was her private joy, a craft honed in quiet dedication, never really considered as a pathway to a business.

But in 2024, something shifted. Leah decided to take what felt like a monumental leap of faith: to see if this deeply ingrained passion could become a source of income, a way to build something more.

"At first, I was just selling through WhatsApp and Instagram," Leah shares, gesticulating as though crocheting in that very moment, a constant, rhythmic accompaniment to her words. "I loved making pieces, but I had no real plan. I didn’t track my profits, and I wasn’t sure how to grow my business."

It’s a scenario many an artisan knows all too well. Without a physical shop, without the scaffolding of structured business practices, Leah found herself grappling with the everyday frustrations: orders in a muddle, sales frustratingly inconsistent, and that persistent, nagging doubt about whether her efforts would actually yield any real profit. Yet, beneath the surface of these challenges lay a quiet determination to make it work.

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Then came a pivotal moment. She discovered the Sanara Programme, joining its very first cohort. This, it turned out, was the catalyst she needed.

"The training changed everything for me," Leah says. Her voice lowers a little, almost reflectively. "I learned how to plan my day, keep records, and manage my money properly. Before, I had no idea if I was making a profit. Now, I track everything, and I know I’m earning a reliable profit each month."

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Take a moment to consider that shift: from a talented hobbyist operating on instinct and hope, to a businesswoman with a clear understanding of her earnings - a tangible, consistent profit each month - and perhaps more importantly, her capability and the worth of her work.

The impact of the Sanara Programme wasn't confined to financial tracking. Leah gained crucial skills in online marketing, learning how to present her craft to a wider world. Her digital presence sharpened, her customer base began to expand beyond the familiar borders of her home county, and orders started arriving from different regions. Word-of-mouth began to build momentum as satisfied clients spread the news of her work. She even began to diversify her product line, creating bespoke crochet pieces for a wide range of customers - from fashion-conscious young people and children to older clients seeking unique, handcrafted items.

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Of course, the journey of an entrepreneur is rarely without its ongoing challenges. Scaling up production when you have limited equipment is a significant hurdle. Meeting the rising demand for her creations requires more resources than she currently has available. These are the very real growing pains of a successful small enterprise. But Leah remains undeterred. Her vision is clear. With the right support - access to better tools, perhaps some funding, and continued mentorship - she sees her crochet business blossoming into a full-fledged fashion brand, its local roots reaching out across the country and beyond.

"The Sanara Program didn’t just teach me business skills - it gave me the confidence to dream bigger." And that confidence, that expanded horizon of possibility, is perhaps the most profound gift of all.

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Leah's story is a compelling testament to the idea that with the right support, a deeply loved hobby, a personal passion, can indeed be woven into a thriving business. She stands now at an exciting juncture, ready to stitch the next, even more ambitious, chapter of her career.

The only question that remains is a hopeful one: with what she already knew, and with the lesson now learnt, and the deeply-held love for her craft, what promises do the future now hold for Leah?

Marcus Olang'

Here’s the thing about stories: they’re everywhere. They’re in the way someone smiles, the way a community comes together, or even the way a brand tries to connect with its audience. And if you know how to listen, you’ll find that every story has the power to move people - to make them think, feel, or even act differently. That’s what I do.

I’m Marcus Olang’, and I help people and organizations tell their stories in ways that matter.

Over the years, I’ve worked in radio, copywriting, strategy, and photography. Each role taught me something new about how stories work - and more importantly, how they can create change.

Right now, I’m the Storythreading Lead at Recentred Africa , an organization incubated by Baraza Media Lab. At Recentred, we don’t just tell stories; we design them to influence behaviour. Think about it: when you hear a story that feels personal, that speaks to your own experiences, you’re more likely to listen - and maybe even change the way you think or act. That’s the power of storytelling, and it’s what I get to do every day.

Beyond my work at Recentred Africa, I run Stills By Marcus, where I use photography to freeze moments in time and remind us of what it means to be human. So when I’m not behind the camera, or reflecting upon what it means to be a human living in Africa, you’ll probably find me nose-deep in a late-night photo-editing marathon.

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