Empowering Women Smallholders: Irene's Transformative Journey at the Mulago Fellowship Retreat

On the 24th of August, Irene Etyang, CEO of MAMLO FOODS, embarked on a transformative experience at the Mulago Fellowship retreat in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. As a Rainer Arnhold Fellow, Irene joined other social impact leaders to reflect, refine, and reimagine their strategies for scaling change. This retreat marked a pivotal moment for Irene, reshaping how she views MAMLO FOODS' journey toward empowering marginalized women smallholders in the peanut-growing regions of  Africa.

For Irene, who grew up in Teso, a peanut and millet-growing community in Kenya, the struggles of women smallholders have been a deeply personal issue. Witnessing firsthand how these women were exploited by middlemen, she set out to create a business that could restore dignity and economic independence to smallholders, especially women, through the value addition of indigenous grains and peanuts. Over the years, her business evolved, culminating in the creation of MAMLO FOODS, an enterprise built around an innovative "Micro-Factory" model that localizes processing and ensures profits remain within communities.

At the Mulago retreat, Irene's vision for MAMLO FOODS shifted to new heights. During a series of in-depth discussions, the fellowship's emphasis on sustainable, scalable solutions deeply resonated with her. "Before, I thought scaling was about expanding the number of micro-factories and market reach," she reflects. "But Mulago’s strategy challenged me to think differently—scale isn’t just about growth in numbers, but about designing models that can create lasting, widespread impact while remaining true to our core mission."

Mulago’s approach, centered around simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability, encouraged Irene to refine MAMLO’s Micro-Factory model, ensuring it could be replicated across diverse regions without compromising the quality or integrity of the solution. With this newfound clarity, Irene now envisions not only expanding MAMLO’s footprint but also deepening the impact on peanut-growing communities by empowering more women farmers through localized processing.

As  Irene continues her fellowship with Mulago, her focus is clear: building a scalable, sustainable system that uplifts women, drives economic growth, and transforms the peanut value chain in Africa. Her time in the Atlas Mountains provided the clarity and confidence needed to push forward, turning MAMLO FOODS into a model for empowering communities, a micro-factory at a time.This retreat has not only sharpened Irene's vision but also reinforced her commitment to community-centered growth.

 For MAMLO FOODS, the future is bright, and Irene is ready to lead the charge toward global peanut prosperity while ensuring that the benefits remain with the women smallholders at the heart of the business.