Targeting girls aged 10 - 21 years old in Nairobi's slums, Mrembo unveils, restores and builds the inner beauty of girls through sport. The program addresses issues of sexuality, reproductive health and self-esteem with the objective of helping girls make positive and healthy decisions. New for 2013, the initiative will provide vocational training opportunities to the neediest girls to help prevent the kind of economic desperation which forces many into prostitution or abusive relationships.
Girls in Nairobi's slums are faced with countless social & economic challenges. Rape, incest, sexual & physical abuse, early marriages & dangerous, illegal abortions are daily occurrences. Girls skip school as they don't have sanitary towels & many resort to prostitution or abusive relationships with older men in exchange for basic necessities. For the girls, the result is often pregnancy, HIV infection & emotional distress.
Sexuality is not discussed in Kenyan homes so Mrembo fills a huge knowledge gap. By learning about puberty & family planning, girls gain the ability to make informed choices. Interactive activities, group counseling & soccer trainings give girls the confidence to make positive decisions. But, for the poorest of girls who are economically forced into early marriages or prostitution, social empowerment is limited. By providing vocational training, Mrembo ensures these girls can support themselves.
Through its social & economic empowerment initiatives, the Mrembo Girls Program will help some of the most deprived girls in Kenya to lead happy & fulfilling lives. By preventing child prostitution, early marriages, pregnancies and subsequent abortions, the spread of HIV/AIDS & keeping girls in school, the program is a cog in the wheel helping to give girls an equal place in African society.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
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