By Jessica Brown | Director of Grants and Special Projects
Chantal, 17-years-old, is a student at Heshima Kenya’s Girls’ Empowerment Project. Looking at her confident and determined smile, one would never guess the hardships she experienced as a young girl fleeing from the war torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Chantal was referred to Heshima Kenya by our partner agency, HIAS Kenya, in 2012. After fleeing from violence in her home country in 2010, she was captured by rebels and held in a forest; she became pregnant as a result of abuse she suffered there. After escaping and being referred to Heshima Kenya, she was placed in the Safe House where she received psychosocial support and was also enrolled into the GEP program. Heshima Kenya covered her maternity and delivery expenses, ensuring Chantal delivered a healthy bouncing baby boy she named James.
Upon enrollment into the Girls’ Empowerment Project, Chantal was assessed and placed in Level 1 of the program. At the time Chantal could not communicate in either English or Kiswahili. She attended classes to improve her language skills and six months later she emerged as one of the top performers in the adult education proficiency test administered by the Government of Kenya. In Level 2, Chantal was a top student and took on a leadership role in her class; she also enrolled in the vocational training where she received tailoring skills. At the completion of the second level, Chantal entered Level 3 and was registered for the national Kenya Certificate of Primary Education Exams, which she will take this November. Passing the exams is necessary for admittance to secondary school. In addition to completing her classes, Chantal received a certification as a skilled tailor. She is now a member of the Maisha Collective (our income generating project), the final component of the Girls’ Empowerment Project. In the Maisha Collective, she earns a stipend that helps pay rent and allows Chantal to live independently with her son.
Chantal’s son also receives support from Heshima Kenya. He is enrolled in the Heshima Kenya’s Early Childhood Development Program, which provides daycare and parenting classes. This allows Chantal the ability to focus on her education and involvement in the Maisha Collective. James learns numbers and shapes in the program, and his social interaction and ability to communicate with his peers, teachers and other adults are constantly improving.
Chantal plans to continue with her education through college, and plans to educate her child. She is extremely thankful for her education and for the counseling she has received that has helped her deal with her traumatic past and has allowed her to focus on her future. Chantal has big dreams for herself and her child for the future, she states “I would like to rewrite my life and the future.”
Thanks to supporters like you, Chantal is able to receive the support and education she deserves, investing in herself and in the future of her family. We thank you!
Links:
By Adrienne Hunt | Development Intern
By Jessica Brown | Grants and Advocacy Officer
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
