From Challenge to change – supporting young mothers in Nairobi, Kenya.

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Dear John,

It has been one year since a whopping 521 of you helped secure our project with Polycom Girls through the Big Give Christmas Challenge. I’m happy to share an update on the impact of your support.

Polycom Girls launched their project, Bado Binti, meaning “still a daughter” in Swahili. This project focused on providing training, mentorship, and community support for teenage mothers in Nairobi, Kenya.

Thanks to your generous support, Polycom has reached fourteen teenage mothers facing significant barriers to education, economic independence, and inclusion in their communities.
Key milestones of the project so far:
* Fourteen teenage mothers have enrolled in vocational training, gaining essential skills. For many, this support has reignited dreams of further education and career development.
* Weekly training sessions have focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, and vital life skills; empowering young women to advocate for their bodies, their rights and to support others in their community.
* Through mentorship and a safe space provided by Polycom, the young women are overcoming personal struggles, including past substance dependency, and many are finding a renewed sense of purpose.
* Polycom has partnered with other feminist organisations and childcare services, expanding support networks and educational opportunities for teenage mothers across Nairobi, extending the reach and impact of this crucial work.

The teenage mothers participating in the Bado Binti programme shared their experiences, highlighting how the project has impacted their lives.

“Bado Binti has helped me achieve one of my biggest dreams—going back to school. This was a dream I thought I had lost forever when I got pregnant. Now, I feel like I’ve made a real achievement, and I’m gaining skills I never thought I’d have.”

Another participant shared her experience:

“I used to rely on drugs to cope with life’s challenges, but Bado Binti has given me the strength to focus on a brighter future and quit that habit. Now, I see life beyond the darkness I once felt trapped in.”

Over the next six months, the group will continue their studies and attend further training. Polycom are prioritising sessions on mental health support (to learn coping strategies and build resilience) and childcare mentorship; recognising that many young mothers are experiencing parenthood for the first time without adequate guidance or support.

Thanks to the support we received during the Big Give Christmas Challenge, this programme will continue to fund the young mums' training until March 2025, with a lasting impact far beyond this date.

We cannot thank you all enough for making this project possible.

With best wishes,

Sierra Schraff Thomas
Programme Manager: Partnerships and Innovation
Womankind Worldwide

The Big Give 2024 - launches next Tuesday!

This year we’re hoping to raise £53,000 for a project that provides pathways to justice, skills training, and mental health support for women & girls with disabilities in Nepal.

Don’t miss the opportunity to make your donation go twice as far with match-funding. Launches Tues 3rd Dec at 12pm GMT.

Header image caption: After pregnancy cut Velma’s education short, Polycom Girls supported her with mentorship and skills training. Now a qualified hairdresser, she mentors young girls facing similar challenges. (Photo credit: Peter Gichuki / Womankind Worldwide)
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