Safe futures - self-reliance for 675 Kenyan girls

Fridah was among the first graduates in Home Care Management at Nairobi Seed of Hope. When she recently came to visit our offices, we couldn’t believe the transformation. Instead of the student we were used to seeing, in walked a confident young lady proudly telling us about the work she is now doing at a large restaurant. She is independent and able to provide for herself and family who are in the village. This is exactly what we want for every graduate of Seed of Hope.

Sitting beside Fridah at a recent meeting of Seed of Hope alumni were three young ladies Monica, Anne and Hanna who graduated from the same course just last year. Although one of the girls named Shakira was not among them during the alumni meeting, each of the girls shared that they are working, building up their experience before they start a business together. Through one of our supporters, they have been bought an oven as part of our Roots programme to help them set up their own business. Their training in enterprise skills has helped them to prepare their business plan and they are ready to put all their training in to practice!

Irene is a second year student in the Fabric and Fashion Design Course. She touched the hearts of a group of American visitors recently when she told them that before starting at Seed of Hope “I felt useless because people discriminated against me because of my low level of education.” Irene went on to explain how the life skills she has learned at Seed of Hope have really boosted her self-esteem and made her value herself. This is so important because as a young mother of two, Irene is a role model to her children and can use the life skills she has learned to ensure they grow up as confident individuals. That’s the great thing about Seed of Hope – it doesn’t just impact the students who are enrolled at the centres. There are ripple effects that ensure many more lives are touched.

Irene is one of a group of students using the August holiday period to work on her final project for Seed of Hope – designing and producing one outfit for a model and one outfit for herself. These will be on show at the graduation at the end of the final term. Irene then hopes to go on an industrial attachment for three months before setting up her own business. And what is great is that with the vocational, enterprise and life skills training that she has received at Seed of Hope, Irene believes that this will happen. She has confidence that she can make it happen!

Irene, Fridah and the group of Homecare students would not have been able to study and transform their lives without the help we receive through Global Giving. Every donation received contributes to the success of Seed of Hope and ensures the programme continues to run and to give girls Dignity, Opportunity and Hope.

Thank you for being part of the team making a difference to the lives of young girls in Kenya.