Establish Girls' Empowerment Centre in Rural Kenya

During the period under review (February – April 2016), NIGEE finalized the Girls’ Empowerment Centre (GEC) within Kisumu.

  The team conducted several activities during the period including:

• Trained 14 NIGEE girls on data collection methods and beneficiary verification processes, and linked them with internship/job opportunities in other NIGEE project activities.
• Advertised for vocational training opportunities at the GEC targeting teen mothers living in informal neighborhoods of Kisumu.
• Advertised for casual trainers for the vocational skills training at the GEC.
• Initiated partnership with Kisumu Gender Recovery Centre based at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu to support sexually abused girls.

The girls really appreciate the donors who have made this project (GEC) a reality. The first group will be graduating in the next quarter.  Below is a story of a GEC beneficiary:

Milka : ‘A new lens to view the world’

Milka is a 26 years old partial orphan raised by her mother. She successfully completed secondary school education last year after joining the NIGEE scholarship program three years ago. Before NIGEE identified her she says, “I was hopeless and I had almost given up on life. My mother struggled to take me to school and when she couldn’t manage it anymore, I had to drop out. I got pregnant during the same year I dropped out of school,” she says. Milka wasn’t prepared for what would happen next. The man responsible for her pregnancy denied any involvement and she was on her own. She was devastated but that did not dampen her spirit.

“I always wanted to go back to school and so when I later met a man who promised to take me back to school so that I could fulfill my dreams, I married him at the age of 14,” she explains. This however did not happen. “When I asked him about going back to school he became violent and sent me away with my son. I was shattered,” she laments.

She however picked up her pieces and figured out a new way to ensure she went back to school. She left her son with her mother and became a house help. “I agreed with my employer that she would save the money while I worked so that I could get back to school. But this was not to be,” she explains. “My mother and son became ill several times and I had to use my savings for their treatment. In the end I also developed health complications and had to quit the job,” Milka adds with tears rolling down. It is then that NIGEE identified her and took her back to school.

Currently Milka is a volunteer intern at NIGEE within a project supporting girls’ education. She also attends computer training sessions at the GEC and hopes to become a nurse once she gets a stable job to support her fees in a nursing school. Her parting shot: “NIGEE has given me hope and a second chance to become the person I’ve always wanted to be. I hope that in my lifetime I will also be able to empower someone else.”

First and foremost, on behalf of all beneficiaries of Nyanza Initiative for Girls’ Education and Empowerment (NIGEE) – Kenya, we would like to say a big thank you to all our donors. We have been able to raise £7,821 to date. This was possible due to your generous contribution during and after the Challenge. During the period under review (November 2015 – January 2016), NIGEE has initiated the process of establishing the Girls’ Empowerment Centre (GEC) within Kisumu. We have:

• The team conducted a staff planning meeting to strategize on how to implement the project. During the meeting, action plans and strategies were developed on how to fast track the set-up of the GEC.
• So far the premise to host the GEC has been identified and renovations are ongoing (see Photo 1 below). The centre is designed to offer vocational training on hair dressing, computer literacy, tailoring, printing, videography designing and editing, etc. It will also offer a safe space for victims of sexual violence. The renovations are expected to be finalized by end of January 2016.
• The signpost/signboard for direction has already been designed and currently the painting is underway (Photo 2).
• To ensure smooth running of the project, a Training Coordinator has been recruited to coordinate the GEC activities. The training coordinator has 2 years’ experience in working with girls’ empowerment project. We have also initiated the process of identifying trainers, and plan to start the trainings by mid-February or start of March 2016. To strengthen the operations of the Safe Space for victims of sexual violence, NIGEE plans to engage a part time psychological counselor to support the project. The centre will also offer referral services to victims who require more support.
• We already have in place the recruitment criteria for the target beneficiaries in the project. The current NIGEE beneficiaries who have completed their secondary education will be automatically enrolled for the trainings. Victims of child marriage and sexual violence shall be given priority during shortlisting. The recruitment process will be open to other girls at subsidized fee to help maintain the Center. Currently we are developing the training manuals with key components to make it youth – friendly.

Links:

• NIGEE Official Website
• NIGEE Facebook Page