Safe futures - self-reliance for 675 Kenyan girls

Hello Friend,

So far this year, you have invested into the skillsets and wellbeing journeys of 655 incredible girls and young women studying at Seed of Hope.

Today, we want to thank you for refusing to ignore the disproportionate ways poverty impacts women and girls in Kenya and to highlight just how vital your support is for levelling the playing field.

Locked Out Long Before the Classroom

Millions of girls and young women in Kenya are locked out of future employment opportunities and financial independence long before they ever reach a classroom door.

Barriers include: having no childcare support, having to stay home because of not being able to afford period products and unfair cultural expectations that place their aspirations behind the needs of the boys, men or elders in their lives.

Because most educational and training programmes fail to recognise these daily realities, young women’s voices are silenced, their potential is lost, and they are left without options to participate fully in their communities. 

Some are forced into exploitative, informal ‘jobs’ with low pay and long hours. Others find themselves engaging in survival sex, where often high risk sexual activity is payment for accommodation, food or other practical needs.

Data from the Shamiri Institute highlights the enormous impact this has on their wellbeing:

• Suicidal ideation: research found that an astonishing 24.6% of 14 to 25 year old women in Nairobi thought about ending their lives
• Depression & anxiety rates: among secondary school students, 45.90% met criteria for depression and 37.99% for anxiety.

Your support dismantles gender-based barriers to earning an income:

Seed of Hope was thoughtfully designed by Programme Manager Florence Olwenge, a trained counsellor and teacher, around the crucial understanding that vocational skills alone are not enough for girls and young women to break free from generational poverty.

So far this year, Florence and her team at Seed of Hope have provided:

• 2,224 period packs - so they never need miss a class
• 518 childcare vouchers - so young mothers can study safe in the knowledge their children are being cared for
• 65,115 nutritious lunches - so they can focus on their learning every day 

Teresia moves from informal work to her very own business

The true impact of your support is best seen through the words of the students themselves. Teresia, pictured giving a speech at her graduation ceremony this year, has gone from strength to strength after enrolling to study Hairdressing and Beauty at Seed of Hope Kangweni:

“Before joining Seed of Hope, I worked as a second-hand clothes hawker. I had always wanted to train in hairdressing and beauty therapy, but due to financial constraints, I could not afford the course fees… 

Through Seed of Hope, I received training in hairdressing and beauty therapy, which has greatly transformed my life. I benefited from free training, daily lunch, and monthly menstrual hygiene packs. With all this support, I was able to focus fully on my learning without stress, as my basic needs and worries were taken care of. I also benefited from the childcare voucher…

Today, I proudly run a shop and no longer need to hawk clothes. I have also managed to purchase some essential equipment for my business… My journey is proof that with the right support and determination, transformation is possible.”

Thank you for planting seeds of hope, resilience, and bright futures ahead!

Every best wish,

Keely and the whole Raising Futures Kenya team