Safe futures - self-reliance for 675 Kenyan girls

Seed of Hope has gone from strength to strength in 2015.

This year saw 137 girls graduate in 3 vocational skills across the 4 Seed of Hope centres.

• 21 students graduated in Home Care Management (catering, hospitality, childcare, managing a home, laundry etc)
• 46 students graduated in Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy
• 57 students graduated in Dressmaking and Fashion Design

The Home Care Management and Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy courses are one year and the Dressmaking takes two years to complete. All of these are complemented with lessons in lifeskills and enterprise skills so that graduates are equipped to pursue employment or self-employment.

In 2015, the introduction of an "Amuka" (rise up) programme and Empowerment Clubs worked on developing the confidence of students and equipping them with knowledge in areas such as rights and justice, healthy relationships and financial planning. All of this helps build well-rounded individuals who are capable of living independently and finding their way in the world. At the graduation ceremony in Nairobi, both graduating student Florence and first year Beverlyne spoke passionately about how these two programmes had helped them get even more out of their time at Seed of Hope because they had confidence and self-belief that they deserved to improve their lives.

In Kitui Seed of Hope, it was a former graduate who had everyone hanging on her words. During the graduation ceremony, a call was given for any former pupils of the school to stand up and give a word of encouragement. A couple of young ladies in the crowd stood up and wished the graduating students good luck. Then…much to our surprise, the lady sitting beside the pastor at the top table stood up. She introduced herself as Emily, a former student of the school. She then gave a motivational speech which was referred to by those who spoke after her. She encouraged the young girls not to rush into marriage when they graduated and to tell anyone interested in them that they should just wait. She advised that hard work is needed in order to succeed but that success is possible. Her husband then proudly stood beside her and said “She is my wife. Every morning when we take bread we give thanks for Seed of Hope because what we are eating is because of what was imparted in her here.” This was a great example of how graduates of Seed of Hope can go on to provide for their families.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Seed of Hope in 2015 and helped ensure that lives have been changed.

We wish you all a prosperous New Year.