Girls to Women Foundation

Foundation, a women-led CBO in Magarini, Kilifi County, empowers vulnerable girls through education, mentorship, and leadership programs. It addresses education, livelihoods, WASH, women’s empowerment, and climate justice, while providing dignity kits to keep girls in school amidst rising teenage pregnancies.
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What
We Do

Foundation is a legally women – led community based organization in Magarini, Kilifi County-Kenya which is registered under the Ministry of Societies. It was formed by youth in Magarini with a vision of assisting vulnerable girls from rural areas to stay in school and complete their education while building their capacity in leadership and life skills through mentorship programs. The organization particularly targets girls, women and children, the most vulnerable members of the society; it addresses issues of Education, sustainable Livelihood, Water Sanitation & Health, Women Empowerment, Good Governance, Climate Justice and emergencies interventions. The organization aims to evolve and scale up its focus to include the provision of dignity kits to school going girls as a way of ensuring that these girls stay in school and such efforts were inspired by a spike in the number of cases of teenage pregnancies which results from the hard economic times and high poverty levels in the county that makes it hard to afford sanitary towels or prioritize girl’s hygiene at household level.

Challenges

  • Limited resources to sustain programs like mentorship, provision of dignity kits, and emergency interventions.
  • Resistance to initiatives promoting girls’ education and women’s empowerment due to entrenched cultural norms.
  • Difficulties in reaching remote areas with necessary resources and services.
  • Widespread poverty  hinders community participation and prioritization of the Foundation’s initiatives.
  • Difficulty in raising awareness and advocating for systemic change in governance and resource allocation.

Achievements

  • Mentored hundreds of KCPE and KCSE students through the Young Achievers Forum, pairing them with individual mentors.
  • Facilitated career guidance and training for form four leavers during Career Fair Days, collaborating with universities and colleges.
  • Established the Marereni Community Library, starting with 200 books to enhance local education standards.
  • Constructed and operates the Marereni Public Sanitation Facility, providing affordable water and sanitation services.
  • Implemented a comprehensive GBV prevention and response program in Kilifi County, linking with women rescue centers and training community leaders.
  • Distributed sanitary towels and held motivational sessions, significantly improving menstrual hygiene management.
  • Supported numerous women and girls living with HIV/AIDS through discussion forums and psychological support.
  • Trained and empowered numerous women and girls in vocational skills such as salon/beauty, baking, and tailoring.
  • Developed digital skills in rural communities, with programs like Rural Girls Can Code, including website design and online marketing training.
  • Launched entrepreneurship programs, helping women start and grow businesses and creating open-air markets for product display.
  • Hosted the Annual Young Women Human Rights Defenders Academy, enhancing the capacity and safety of women activists in Magarini and Kilifi.
  • Established a training program for Young Women Politicians, fostering leadership and resource tapping in Coast politics.
  • Developed a cadre of Women Budget Champions skilled in monitoring governmental budget processes.
  • Led mangrove conservation efforts at Marereni Beach, planting new mangrove trees and cleaning waterways.
  • Organized monthly environmental and beach clean-ups, significantly reducing coastal and urban pollution.
  • Initiated the Talanta Community Cup, promoting climate justice through sports and environmental activities.

Our Initiatives

Upendo Girls Initiative

We provide sanitary pads to end teenage pregnancy and period poverty, while spreading the gospel of Jesus to empower girls and promote their well-being.
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