Safe futures - self-reliance for 675 Kenyan girls

Dear our valued supporters,

We hope this finds you well.

It is exciting to share the beautiful progress and quotes from our recent graduates with you.

Our  students participated in various workshops such as soap and detergent making, tie and dye and regular classes also went on as scheduled for the first half of 2023.

The Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy and Computer (EFC) Cohort 3 class graduated after successfully completing the 7 weeks course. This group consisted of 73 students and all of them managed to complete their course and successfully graduated.

The Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) students finished their 6 months of training and have all transitioned into industrial attachment hosted by our partner organisations, local businesses, and former graduates. This will allow  them to gain practical work experience and apply the skills they learned in real-world settings for the next 3 months before they can go into employment.

Some of the sampled quotes and feedback from the EFC Cohort 3 graduates include the following:

"The entrepreneurship course at Seed of Hope has been a game-changer for me. I learned how to turn my ideas into a viable business and gained the confidence to start my own venture. Thank you for empowering me with the skills and knowledge I needed to succeed." – *John, EFC Cohort 3, 2023 Nairobi Graduate.

"Seed of Hope's EFC program empowered me to turn my passion into a profitable business. As a young mother, I now have the skills and knowledge to provide for my family and create a better future. Thank you for giving me the confidence to pursue my dreams." – *Mary, EFC Cohort 3, 2023 Nairobi Graduate.

"The computer packages I learnt at Seed of Hope provided me with the practical skills needed in today's digital world. I now feel confident in my abilities." – *Fiona, EFC Cohort 3, 2023 Kitui Graduate.

Enrolment of EFC cohort 4  and TVET cohort 2  took place at the beginning of the month of July and at the moment, 221  students have been enrolled and going through Amuka, which is a one week self awareness intensive training designed to ensure students develop emotional intelligence, soft skills, and confidence needed to succeed in their training at Seed of Hope and by extension in employment and self-employment after graduation.

Thank You for being part of this success! We will be updating more on the second half of the year cohort and how they are progressing

* Graduates real names changed for their privacy

Dear our valued supporter,

We at Raising Futures Kenya just wanted to say a huge thank you for your continued support of  our ‘Safe Futures for girls in Kenya’ project implemented through our Seed of Hope programme, and to share some  updates for our 2023 enrolment with you.

The future of girls living in informal settlements, like Dagoretti and rural areas where we work, can be challenging as they often face greater barriers to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities than girls in more affluent areas. They are also more vulnerable to violence and exploitation, including child marriage and trafficking.

With your support, our Seed of Hope programme has given opportunities for these girls to develop vocational skills in fashion and fabric design, motor vehicle mechanics, Hair and Beauty, Catering and Hospitality courses as well as gain skills in  entrepreneurship and computer skills to empower themselves to overcome real challenges and obstacles.

It has also provided the girls from informal settlement areas with a safe space as well as access to other basic support services and protection mechanisms such as mental health and counselling, reproductive health training and monthly menstrual health packs, childcare vouchers for the young mothers, free hot daily lunches, lifeskills training amongst other most needed support. This has provided them a conducive environment to enable them to develop the skills and knowledge they need to become self-reliant and succeed in life in future.

In January 2023, we enrolled 263 girls to be trained between January and June for the vocational skills with more being enrolled after every 7 weeks for training in Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy and Computer skills as a stand alone short course for those that do not want to do the vocational courses. Out of the 263 girls enrolled by January, 51 of them are young mothers benefitting with monthly childcare vouchers to enable them get care for their children as they do their training.

Once they graduate from Seed of hope, they use the skills and knowledge gained to gain meaningful employment or set up their own businesses such as dressmaking shops, hair and beauty salons, cake making and other small businesses. They are able to uplift themselves economically and become fully independent, no longer having to rely on others. Not only are they able to fully support themselves but also their family (elderly parents, younger siblings, and sick family relatives). And young mothers are able to cover costs for their children, for daycare, and invest in themselves!

Ultimately, Seed of Hope's efforts of empowering girls in informal and rural settlements has involved a multi-faceted approach that addresses the many factors that contribute to their vulnerability and lack of opportunity. By investing in their education, health, wellbeing, economic prospects, and providing them with strong role models and mentors, it has helped these girls build brighter futures and become self-reliant adults.

 Thank You for being part of this success and change in the lives of these vulnerable young mothers and girls!

With best wishes,

Mary and Flo (Kenya) and Leela (UK)