Education Kenya Project #69078

Empowering 1,100 young mothers in Kenya

by Raising Futures Kenya

Project Report | Feb 17, 2026
Young mothers are securing their futures!

By Keely Bicknell | Fundraising & Communications Officer

Faith, Maureen & Ann at their graduation

Dear friends and supporters,

Your generous giving is supporting young mothers to gain the skills they need to get a safe job or set up a sustainable business for their families, via our award winning Seed of Hope programme.

Thanks to you, 184 young mothers were supported to reach their potential at Seed of Hope in 2025, breaking themselves free from the cycle of poverty and securing a safe future for their children!

You’ll be delighted to know that we have recently celebrated the graduations of Seed of Hope’s Class of 2025, in all three of our centres across Kenya!

What better way to celebrate your incredible support than to hear the words of some of the young mothers that have received their certificates and are now off on their way to creating their futures!

Faith, Maureen and Ann, pictured smiling together in their mortar boards, all graduated from their Seed of Hope Catering and Hospitality course. What's amazing is they each already have jobs lined up as chefs, so felt an extra sense of pride and excitement at their graduation ceremonies!

Faith, far left, told us:“Before joining seed of hope it was always difficult for me to tell anyone that I am a mother, this has become so easy and part of my introduction… I am a young mother, raised by a single parent, my mother, who has been my strength and my example. Life taught me responsibility early, and sometimes the weight felt heavier than my age.”

Recent graduate Teresia, who studied Hair & Beauty Therapy and has now set up her very own beauty business, wanted to tell us about the profound affect studying at Seed of Hope has had on her life as a young mother: “My journey has not been easy, but it has shaped the woman I am becoming.”

“I wanted more than survival, I wanted stability, dignity, and hope. Today, I am proudly running my own business, earning an income, and providing for my child. My journey is proof that with the right support and determination, transformation is possible.”

For Grace (name changed), a young mother that studied Hairdressing & Beauty Therapy at our centre in Kangweni, Kitui county, the free therapy offered to her transformed her mental health, after experiencing wellbeing challenges at home. Pictured below on her graduation day, she told the team “I am learning how to care for my child without anger, and how to care for my myself without guilt. Seed of hope gave me skills but the mental wellness sessions gave me my strength back.’’

Thank you for standing with young mothers in Kenya - we are so grateful for your support!

With love and gratitude,

Keely and the team

Naomi on her graduation day

Seed of Hope Kariti graduates group shot

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Oct 28, 2025
Young mothers are the future

By Keely Bicknell | Fundraising & Communications Officer

Esther at work

Dear friends and supporters,

We believe that young mothers are the future; that by ensuring young mothers have the opportunity to learn and earn a safe, reliable income, we are ensuring the futures of whole communities.

Your generous support of our project has meant that, so far this year, 180 incredible girls and women have studied or are currently studying a vocation or entrepreneurship skills, while being brilliant mothers to the next generation!

The local experts at Seed of Hope are supporting each of them on their journey every step of the way, providing:

576 childcare vouchers, so they can fully concentrate on their studies
Free period packs each month, so they never need miss a class
A free daily lunch, so they can nourish their bodies
Access to counselling, so their stories can be heard and they can start to heal

“I really appreciate the voucher support — I’m not the same person I was before. I can now pay for my baby’s daycare and meet other basic needs. The skills I’ve gained have truly changed my life and made me more disciplined than ever.”

Teresia, current Seed of Hope student

“I send money to my mum for my baby’s food and other basic needs. I’ve already saved Ksh 10,000, and I plan to add more so that I can buy a sewing machine worth Ksh 18,000. I am grateful to SOH for the childcare support that has made this possible.”

Mercy, current Seed of Hope student

Your donations are enabling each of these 180 young mothers to gain the skills and confidence they need to get a job or set up their own small business when they graduate. Thanks to you, these young women are building paths towards safe, stable incomes for themselves and their families, free from exploitation.

Introducing Esther

Growing up, Esther’s parents couldn't afford to meet most of her and her siblings’ basic needs. She managed to graduate from both primary and secondary school, but in her second year of college Esther became pregnant and had to drop out. After giving birth, she pleaded with her parents to take her back to college but her parents couldn’t afford to fund her education. Her dreams completely shattered, she resorted to helping her parents on their farm and doing casual jobs to take care of her young child.

One day, one of her neighbours informed her about the seed of hope. She visited the Seed of Hope centre in Kangweni and quickly enrolled herself in the Hair and Beauty Therapy course. Esther excelled in her learning, where she felt loved and accepted. When she graduated, Seed of Hope helped her into an internship. She impressed her supervisors and they offered her a job opportunity.

She is now working and looking forward to saving enough money to start her own salon business:

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without Seed of hope. The free training received has made it possible for me to provide for my family and myself. Thank you, Seed of Hope.”

Esther, Hair and Beauty graduate

Thank you so much for your ongoing support - as a small charity, every conversation counts!

With best wishes,

Keely

Sandra talks about impact of period packs

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Jul 8, 2025
Young mothers want to learn too!

By Keely Bicknell | Fundraising & Communications Officer

Mary, young mother, with her baby

Dear friends and supporters,

Young mothers want to learn too! That’s why 1 in 4 female students at Seed of Hope have children.

Your generosity has meant that, so far this year, 93 young mothers are studying something that excites them at Seed of Hope.

Any barriers to learning they may have faced have been taken care of by the local experts at our partner-NGO that support them. They have been given childcare vouchers (358 in total so far, to be precise!), free monthly period packs, a daily nutritious lunch and the opportunity to have counselling, so they feel heard and can start to heal from past trauma.

Your donations are enabling each of these 93 young mothers to gain the skills and confidence they need to get a job or set up their own small business when they graduate.

Thanks to you, these young women are building paths towards safe, stable incomes for themselves and their families, free from exploitation.

Introducing Mary

As brilliant as stats and numbers can be, it's real life stories that truly show the incredible impact you’re having on the lives of young mothers from marginalised communities in Kenya.

Mary is a recent Hair & Beauty graduate from Seed of Hope Kariti. Amazingly, she became pregnant during her studies, but did not drop out. With support from the team at Seed of Hope, she continued her classes and then sat (and passed!) her exams while heavily pregnant.

Now a proud mother, Mary wants to set up her own salon, so she can support herself and her family. The photo of Mary in her gown and mortarboard at graduation, baby in arms, is a powerful demonstration of the determination and strength of the mothers our partner-NGO work with at Seed of Hope!

Thank you for standing with young mothers in Kenya - we are so grateful for your support!

With love and gratitude,

Keely and the team

Young mothers with their childcare vouchers

Seed of Hope girls with their period packs

Links:

Why young mothers are disproportionately impacted by poverty

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