Safe futures - self-reliance for 675 Kenyan girls

Our Seed of Hope programme has touched the heart of many families in Kenya through the transformation of young people who are empowered and equipped with skills for self-reliance and independent living. The young girls enrolled at Seed of Hope not only graduate with a certificate in their course of studies, they go out into the workplace equipped with business enterprise skills and life skills that enable them to excel in the job market. Families continue to refer young girls to Seed of Hope because their daughters have succeeded in life and changed their family situation for the better.

Seed of Hope graduate, Sneider, came from a humble background with her mother being the soul bread winner of a big family. She completed primary education with good grades but did not further her studies, as her mother could not afford to pay her secondary education. At the time most of her peers joined high school, she remained at home with no hope of continuing with education. Instead she decided to look for casual jobs to help her mother to meet their daily needs, believing that one day her luck would change. One day Sneider’s mother was going about in the neighbourhood looking for casual work, when she met woman who informed her about Seed of Hope where her own daughter had previously graduated with a certificate in Dressmaking and Fashion Design. She visited our Seed of Hope Nairobi centre with Sneider who was admitted to do the two-year Dressmaking and Fashion Design course! Sneider graduated and she got a job in a clothing design company where she has now worked in beading and jewellery design for 8 years!

Her life and that of her family’s has changed significantly over the years as she has been able to support her younger siblings by paying their school fees. She even opened her own craft shop to earn extra income. When I met her recently, she had brought her relative and neighbour’s daughter to Seed of Hope so that they too can gain skills. She said, “Seed of Hope turned my hopelessness to a better living. The programme gave me not only skills but confidence, discipline and determination to face life. I am forever grateful to all who have supported this programme over the years”.

You’re giving more girls like Sneider, hope…

The good news is that every year, more girls continue to enrol at Seed of Hope, while others graduate and get the opportunity to show case their skills in the competitive market place. This was evident recently when the Homecare Management students were put to a practical test in food production and services. For a whole week the students transformed their classrooms in to restaurants where they invited their family members and friends to dine and enjoy the good meals they prepared.

Elizabeth had invited her parents and relatives who came to see what their daughter had learned and after their three-course meal, her mother said “I am very proud of my daughter as she has become the best chef in my house because of Seed of Hope. I have now left the kitchen for her to take charge and during our women’s meetings she will be hired as our caterer”. The homecare management students will now go on a work placement before they graduate at the end of the year. We wish them all the best as they put their training skills into practice and gain more experience out there.

I would like to sincerely thank you for your continuous support towards Seed of Hope Programme because it is through your generous giving that we have been able to change the lives of many young girls like Snider and Elizabeth.

Maureen’s story…

Maureen and her 3 siblings did not have an easy life growing up in Kibera, one of the biggest slums in East and Central Africa. Life in the city slum was short lived after her father lost his job and the family moved back to the village on their small plot of land where they grew just enough food to feed themselves, hardly making ends meet. Maureen went to the local primary school and though she completed her primary education, she had no chance of joining high school as her parents could not afford to pay school fees. She was forced to help her mother in the farm, as this was the only source of livelihood for the family. For two years she lived in the village, Maureen was frustrated as she would see her former classmates going to high school while she continued to work on the farm or engage in menial jobs to earn a little income for the family.

Life in the village proved difficult for her and she pleaded with her parents to allow her go back with her older sister in Nairobi to look for casual jobs. They agreed and Maureen’s sister helped her secure house help job in one of the city suburbs where she worked for 3 years. Due to challenges she faced in the hands of employers, she left work and opted to get married and start a family at the age of 19 since she did not want to go back to the village.

Maureen was introduced to Seed of Hope programme by a friend and enrolled for a one year Homecare Management Course. At the weekend, she sells snacks to her neighbours but also does outside catering to generate extra income for her family’s upkeep. When asked how seed of Hope has changed her life she said “I am happy to have joined Seed of Hope because my dreams were shattered and I thought getting married will solve my problems but now I know that it is through the skills I have learned that will make my life much better. I also have confidence that will enable me to raise the living standards of my family.” Maureen plans to open a small café with the support of her husband and sisters after completing her course.

Other news…

In other news the second year students of dressmaking, fashion and fabric design course sat for their grade 3 test and are preparing for grade 2 in August from the National Industrial Training Authority. The government grade test is very important as it builds the students profile as they can advance their skills in any of the government technical training institutions but also get employed in the textile industries and fashion companies in Kenya. There is hope for each and every girl or young mother who joins Seed of Hope as it is not only the technical skills that they take back but their confidence is built and they are motivated to grow and advance in their studies.

Thank you…

All this would not be possible without your generous giving towards Seed of Hope. This project has made it possible for a young mother like Maureen and many other girls to build confidence, raise their self-esteem and have the opportunity for a prosperous and promising future.

Links:

• Seed of Hope helped Irene realise her self-worth