Tuesday, 16 August 2016
Thursday, 11 August 2016
OUR RESOURCE
MENTORING, INSPIRING, MOTIVATING…ONE GIRL AT A TIME
‘TAPPING INTO KENYA’S MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE…GIRLS!!!’
MENTORING, INSPIRING, MOTIVATING…ONE GIRL AT A TIME
‘TAPPING INTO KENYA’S MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE…GIRLS!!!’
MENTORING, INSPIRING, MOTIVATING…ONE GIRL AT A TIME
‘TAPPING INTO KENYA’S MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE…GIRLS!!!’
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
THE STORY OF HER LIFE.
Back in 1998, Jane’s biological mother gave birth to her in a local hospital in Kitui. In the same hospital, a certain lady called Pendo a Swahili name which means Love had also given birth to a baby boy. Being a mother of six boys she was not happy after getting another male child, the baby made her feel unlucky. This issue forced Pendo to bribe some nurses in the hospital in order to get a female child through their help. The nurses approached Jane’s mother who agreed to sell her baby to a stranger. Her reasons for selling her child were best known by her since she did not care about her actions.
Six years later Jane grew up to be a beautiful, hardworking and brilliant girl. Her ‘family’ being the best gift God had ever given her. For Jane living with them felt like having a small heaven here on earth which she would never exchange even for sacks of gold .One day, Pendo narrated the whole story on how she got Joy to her best friend simply believing that she would not tell anyone especially her husband. This piece of information annoyed her husband after knowing the truth from Pendo's best friend. He heartlessly beat Pendo together with Jane who had no idea of what was happening at that time. The man chased them away threatening to kill them if he ever found them on his compound without his biological son.
The only option Pendo had was to live at her father’s house in Kitui. Jane always did all domestic chores in the morning then sell mangoes later in the evening at the market. She hardly had time to rest, play with her age-mates or study. Despite all that, she still maintained her first position in class. Each teacher loved her and admired how she worked hard in her studies hence nicknaming her SMART GIRL. In spite of that, Pendo’s father still detested Jane. The old man always blamed her for his daughter’s misfortunes.
One day, Jane was busy playing with her friends when her grandfather called her inside the house claiming that he wanted to send her to the shop. When she entered the house he slapped the poor girl, locked the door and pushed her on the floor. Jane cried for help hoping that someone would come to her rescue. Fortunately, the children she was playing with had not left the compound. When they heard her crying and screaming for help, they sneaked at the back of the house and crept up the window to see what was happening to their friend. They saw how Jane was struggling with the old man who was trying to remove her clothes while lying on top of her. Pendo’s father wanted to sexually assault the poor girl just because he despised her very much. The children ran for help which came on time before the old man had raped her. Jane is always grateful to each person who ensured that justice was served. The old man was sentenced to life imprisonment after beating Jane and attempting to rape her. Pendo disowned and chased her away. Since then, Jane moves from one house to another trying to get people who can love, appreciate her for whom she is and become part of a family.
Jane is in her final year in secondary school after getting a sponsorship of four years. Her main goal is to become an advocate one day and protect defenseless girls just like her, love and mentor them. Through this story I was able to know that there are some challenges girls and women face in their lives. Although, Jane feels that life has been very unkind to her she is still hoping and praying that there is a light beyond every tunnel in her life. Jane is a strong girl who is growing up to become a great woman in her Society and Country. Her story is like a synonym of why it is difficult to be a woman.
Edith Nene.
Intern/Alumni
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!
MY PRIDE
Today, the world woke up to your day. But does the world know how far you have travelled. Does the world know the favour she owes you? Does the world even recognize how beautiful you have made it to be? The world knows. The world wants to celebrate this day with you. That’s why, as a representative of the world, I invoke all divine happiness so that you enjoy this day to its fullest.
For many years now, you have been the rock of my life. I remember when I could not move, when all seemed lost, you comforted me with some words of wisdom, and you even wiped my tears when I was crying. Without you, life would have been meaningless. But now, because of your warm love and affection, I am on my feet again.
When you came into my life, everything changed for the better. I do not know which divine magic you used but what I know is that when you came into my life, everything changed for the better. I join you in celebrating this day with warm love.
The birds will sing today, and I dedicate all their tunes to you. The sun will shine, but its entire warm rays are yours. For you are part of this great nature.
I salute your power! I bow to your focus and courage. You said NO to all comforts and leisure to be there for me. Am proud of you my sisters and I wish you a Happy International women’s day!!!!
Article by Esther Mbete
RCWG Staff/Alumni
Today, the world woke up to your day. But does the world know how far you have travelled. Does the world know the favour she owes you? Does the world even recognize how beautiful you have made it to be? The world knows. The world wants to celebrate this day with you. That’s why, as a representative of the world, I invoke all divine happiness so that you enjoy this day to its fullest.
For many years now, you have been the rock of my life. I remember when I could not move, when all seemed lost, you comforted me with some words of wisdom, and you even wiped my tears when I was crying. Without you, life would have been meaningless. But now, because of your warm love and affection, I am on my feet again.
When you came into my life, everything changed for the better. I do not know which divine magic you used but what I know is that when you came into my life, everything changed for the better. I join you in celebrating this day with warm love.
The birds will sing today, and I dedicate all their tunes to you. The sun will shine, but its entire warm rays are yours. For you are part of this great nature.
I salute your power! I bow to your focus and courage. You said NO to all comforts and leisure to be there for me. Am proud of you my sisters and I wish you a Happy International women’s day!!!!
Article by Esther Mbete
RCWG Staff/Alumni
Monday, 7 December 2015
HELLO DECEMBER! TO YOU AND FOR YOU MY SISTERS…
Isn’t it a blessing when you get to see the end of yet another year? It is important to appreciate yourself, where you have come from and the achievements you have made no matter how small they may seem. APPRECIATE! In every start of year, people make different resolutions. For us, our resolution each year is to change the lives and make an impact in young women’s lives. This we believe we have given our very best to achieve this year and that through our work, we have not only made an impact in young women’s lives, but that we have inspired them and many of our readers out there to move from their comfort zones and motivate themselves to be better and do better.
I have definitely been inspired by my work this year. Not only have I learnt to appreciate what I have and the person I have become, but I have also learnt to be more patient and resilient. I have gained exposure through women and girls’ stories and experiences and most of all I have had fun!
Hello December, Time Flies! I finally got my undergraduate degree this year. I was very angry and disappointed last year December for not graduating with my class because of a mistake within my faculty. But, somethings have a way of working themselves out. I am really grateful for the tremendous support I have gotten from my SISTERS because going through my school life would have been so much difficult had they not have been part of my support system. Going through university is not easy, especially when you have to work to pay your own school fees, but it is not impossible.
I hope this post inspires all the young women who are pursuing their education and are facing all sorts of challenges along the way, or are stuck in the process of it all. Do not give up! Open up to your sisters and let them be part of your journey, because they are a hot bed of ideas, solutions and just basic support…which, believe me you will need along the way!
That being said, happy Holidays to our Readers and the entire Resource Center for Women and Girls Fraternity
Love and Love!
Ivy Nyawira
I have definitely been inspired by my work this year. Not only have I learnt to appreciate what I have and the person I have become, but I have also learnt to be more patient and resilient. I have gained exposure through women and girls’ stories and experiences and most of all I have had fun!
Hello December, Time Flies! I finally got my undergraduate degree this year. I was very angry and disappointed last year December for not graduating with my class because of a mistake within my faculty. But, somethings have a way of working themselves out. I am really grateful for the tremendous support I have gotten from my SISTERS because going through my school life would have been so much difficult had they not have been part of my support system. Going through university is not easy, especially when you have to work to pay your own school fees, but it is not impossible.
I hope this post inspires all the young women who are pursuing their education and are facing all sorts of challenges along the way, or are stuck in the process of it all. Do not give up! Open up to your sisters and let them be part of your journey, because they are a hot bed of ideas, solutions and just basic support…which, believe me you will need along the way!
That being said, happy Holidays to our Readers and the entire Resource Center for Women and Girls Fraternity
Love and Love!
Ivy Nyawira
Monday, 26 October 2015
SEX SLAVERY IN THE 21st CENTURY
WHEN readers hear about “modern slavery” in America or abroad, they may roll their eyes and assume that’s an exaggeration. Slavery? Really? Modern slavery?
If you’re one of the doubters, then listen to Poonam Thapa, a teenage girl I met here in Nepal, where she is putting her life back together after being sold to a brothel.
And if you think, as Amnesty International suggested recently, that the solution is to decriminalize the commercial sex trade around the world, then pay special heed.
Poonam was poor and uneducated when a woman offered an escape in the form of a well-paying job. “You can have a better life,” Poonam remembers the woman saying. “And if you make good money, you will be respected by your father. You can help your family.”
So Poonam, then age 12, ran off with the woman. When Poonam was eventually deposited in a brothel in Mumbai, India, she was puzzled. “I didn’t even know what a brothel was,” she recalls.
The brothel owner, a woman, dolled her up in a skimpy dress, equipped her with falsies, and gave her heels. Then the owner sold Poonam’s virginity to an older man.
“The man raped me,” Poonam says. “I didn’t know what he was doing. But I was bleeding and hurting and crying.”
The brothel owner sternly told Poonam to buck up — she had paid $1,700 for Poonam and needed to recover her investment. So Poonam was locked inside the brothel, forced to have sex with 20 to 25 men a day, and more on Sundays and holidays. There were no days off, no trips outside the brothel, and, of course, no pay.
One day Poonam was hurting and refused a customer. She says the brothel-owner beat her and burned her with cigarettes; she showed me the scars.
Poonam thus became one of 20.9 million people worldwide — a quarter of them children — subjected to forced labor, according to the U.N.’s International Labor Organization. In the United States, tens of thousands of children are trafficked into the sex trade each year.
Men visiting Poonam’s brothel paid $2.50 for sex and were sometimes oblivious to the brutality, flattering themselves that the girls liked their work. They see girls who often smile; no one is holding a gun to their heads.
Poonam responded with what so many others have said: The smiles are on the outside, even as girls are crying inside.
“We were told to smile, because a smile is money and will pull in customers,” Poonam said. The girls were also ordered to say that they were over 18 and working voluntarily.
Then one day police raided the brothel. Warned by the brothel owner that the police would torture her if they found she was a child or trafficked, Poonam claimed that she was 23 and working voluntarily, but the police could see that she was a child and took her to a shelter.
What makes me sick is that there are "customers" who relish this sort of thing. Surely that man who paid for her virginity knew what he was...
Indian authorities returned Poonam to the care of Maiti Nepal, a leading anti-trafficking organization. Now Poonam is studying to be a social worker in hopes of helping other trafficked girls. A new study suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder is frequent among those who have been trafficked.
Anuradha Koirala, founder of Maiti Nepal, notes that there has been a bit of progress against sex trafficking of Nepali girls. A crucial step, whether in Nepal or the United States, is ending the impunity for pimps and traffickers, and Koirala says that Maiti Nepal has helped prosecute 800 people for involvement in trafficking. In America as well, we need to prosecute traffickers rather than their victims.
Plenty of well-meaning people back Amnesty International’s proposal for full decriminalization of the sex trade, including of pimps and brothels, and it’s certainly true that some women (and men) work in the sex trade voluntarily. Yet in practice, approaches similar to Amnesty’s have ended up simply empowering pimps. And while under these proposals human trafficking would remain illegal, the police would no longer have a reason to raid brothels to search for girls like Poonam. Both Poonam and Koirala think that full decriminalization is a catastrophic idea; if it were in place, Poonam might still be enslaved.
“There is no protection to the powerless,” Koirala said of full decriminalization. “All the benefits go to the perpetrators and exploiters.”
The blunt truth is that no strategy works all that well against trafficking. But maybe the most successful has been Sweden’s, cracking down on traffickers and customers while providing social services and exit ramps for women in the sex trade.
That’s what human trafficking is, an ugly form of exploitation that at its worst amounts to modern slavery. In the 21st century, isn’t it finally time to abolish slavery forever?
If you’re one of the doubters, then listen to Poonam Thapa, a teenage girl I met here in Nepal, where she is putting her life back together after being sold to a brothel.
And if you think, as Amnesty International suggested recently, that the solution is to decriminalize the commercial sex trade around the world, then pay special heed.
Poonam was poor and uneducated when a woman offered an escape in the form of a well-paying job. “You can have a better life,” Poonam remembers the woman saying. “And if you make good money, you will be respected by your father. You can help your family.”
So Poonam, then age 12, ran off with the woman. When Poonam was eventually deposited in a brothel in Mumbai, India, she was puzzled. “I didn’t even know what a brothel was,” she recalls.
The brothel owner, a woman, dolled her up in a skimpy dress, equipped her with falsies, and gave her heels. Then the owner sold Poonam’s virginity to an older man.
“The man raped me,” Poonam says. “I didn’t know what he was doing. But I was bleeding and hurting and crying.”
The brothel owner sternly told Poonam to buck up — she had paid $1,700 for Poonam and needed to recover her investment. So Poonam was locked inside the brothel, forced to have sex with 20 to 25 men a day, and more on Sundays and holidays. There were no days off, no trips outside the brothel, and, of course, no pay.
One day Poonam was hurting and refused a customer. She says the brothel-owner beat her and burned her with cigarettes; she showed me the scars.
Poonam thus became one of 20.9 million people worldwide — a quarter of them children — subjected to forced labor, according to the U.N.’s International Labor Organization. In the United States, tens of thousands of children are trafficked into the sex trade each year.
Men visiting Poonam’s brothel paid $2.50 for sex and were sometimes oblivious to the brutality, flattering themselves that the girls liked their work. They see girls who often smile; no one is holding a gun to their heads.
Poonam responded with what so many others have said: The smiles are on the outside, even as girls are crying inside.
“We were told to smile, because a smile is money and will pull in customers,” Poonam said. The girls were also ordered to say that they were over 18 and working voluntarily.
Then one day police raided the brothel. Warned by the brothel owner that the police would torture her if they found she was a child or trafficked, Poonam claimed that she was 23 and working voluntarily, but the police could see that she was a child and took her to a shelter.
What makes me sick is that there are "customers" who relish this sort of thing. Surely that man who paid for her virginity knew what he was...
Indian authorities returned Poonam to the care of Maiti Nepal, a leading anti-trafficking organization. Now Poonam is studying to be a social worker in hopes of helping other trafficked girls. A new study suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder is frequent among those who have been trafficked.
Anuradha Koirala, founder of Maiti Nepal, notes that there has been a bit of progress against sex trafficking of Nepali girls. A crucial step, whether in Nepal or the United States, is ending the impunity for pimps and traffickers, and Koirala says that Maiti Nepal has helped prosecute 800 people for involvement in trafficking. In America as well, we need to prosecute traffickers rather than their victims.
Plenty of well-meaning people back Amnesty International’s proposal for full decriminalization of the sex trade, including of pimps and brothels, and it’s certainly true that some women (and men) work in the sex trade voluntarily. Yet in practice, approaches similar to Amnesty’s have ended up simply empowering pimps. And while under these proposals human trafficking would remain illegal, the police would no longer have a reason to raid brothels to search for girls like Poonam. Both Poonam and Koirala think that full decriminalization is a catastrophic idea; if it were in place, Poonam might still be enslaved.
“There is no protection to the powerless,” Koirala said of full decriminalization. “All the benefits go to the perpetrators and exploiters.”
The blunt truth is that no strategy works all that well against trafficking. But maybe the most successful has been Sweden’s, cracking down on traffickers and customers while providing social services and exit ramps for women in the sex trade.
That’s what human trafficking is, an ugly form of exploitation that at its worst amounts to modern slavery. In the 21st century, isn’t it finally time to abolish slavery forever?
Wednesday, 8 July 2015
GELIK=ANDERS FESTIVAL. THE AMSTERDAM EXPERIENCE Supported by MAMA CASH
Our first day in Amsterdam!! I had expectations and I was excited about it all. Being my first time to travel out of my motherland Kenya; I had heard so many things prior to this trip about how people lead their lives abroad, what they eat, how they dress and the thrill of all this hearsay was the fact that I was going to see and experience it all first hand.
On arrival, we were met by an Intern at the Mama Cash office called Heather, who would be our guide for the day. I noticed how clean the city was and that there were a lot of people cycling in the city and the bikes were even more than the people themselves. I have never seen so many bikes in my life!
We boarded a bus, different from how we do it back home of course, there is a more organised and systematic process to the transport system in Amsterdam and apparently in all of Europe, that I wish we could adopt back in Kenya. The bus took us to a stop near the hotel and from there we had to walk to the hotel which was about 5 minutes away. When we got to the hotel, we met other mama cash grantees who had come for the festival, Faith Phiri and Memory Banda, from Malawi.
We went for dinner with three of Mama Cash staff and Heather and there we got a small briefing of how the following day would be and what to expect.
The following day on Friday 26th June we were escorted to an Arts school which would be the venue of our rehearsal. We met two theatre and art directors Khadijah and Lennie took us through the presentation and delivery of our stories.
At the theatre we met Amber and Charlotte, from the Netherlands who would also be participating in the presentation at the festival. Our rehearsal session started by introducing ourselves and sharing our stories, which the art directors would then guide us on how best to deliver it.
I shared my inspiration to the group, which comes from a character called Akoko in the book the river and the source. Akoko is the daughter of a chief who married her off at 19. She got married to a chief as well and was unable to bear more than three children, and for that she was accused of witchcraft making her husband consider getting a second wife.
This did not sit well with Akoko and in her husband’s absence, she left and went back home something that was not very common among women during that time. Her courage, confidence and bravery to defy the harmful traditions bestowed upon her is one of the main things that inspires me.
This is because we are always taught to be like Akoko at the camp. To be confident and to be courageous, and most importantly to transfer the same skills to other girls who do not get the privilege of attending the camp.
FESTIVAL DAY…GELIK=ANDERS!! EQUAL IS DIFFERENT!!
The day I had been waiting for, the day I had heard so much about, and worked hard to prepare for was finally here! The theme of the festival was Gelik=Anders meaning Equal is different. This was such an exciting day and I was looking forward to the activities that would happen and most of all, the presentation I would be part of titled ‘NEXT GENERATION FEMINISTS’. We arrived at the venue earlier than the sessions were scheduled so as to do final touch ups on our rehearsals, which went very well and everyone had mastered their part of the presentation.
We were thereafter directed to the official opening of the festival which was done by the director of Mama Cash, Nicky McIntyre, and after that people went to different sessions by different festival organisers and participants.
I went to a session by Girls Rights Watch which reflected on issues on the post 2015 Agenda and whether youth should participate. I was not sure and I am still learning about what the post 2015 Agenda is, but it was a great session and also the fact that I got to speak despite the fact that I was the youngest in the room. I felt so empowered!!
Then came our session, ‘THE NEXT GENERATION FEMINISTS’. We headed to the room where we would be presenting and started getting ready and preparing and we waited for people to start coming in. In a few minutes, the room was already packed!! We had a great turn up for our session.
I was a bit nervous, but I was ready! I knew I would make my fellow sisters back home very proud. After everybody settled down, we started our presentation, Memory, went first and I followed. I gave it my all and represented the Akoko very well and I was also very proud of myself.
A Q and A session followed after our presentation, but Ivy, who accompanied me on this trip and Faith who accompanied Memory Introduced themselves first.
One of the questions asked was how people view Feminism in our countries, especially by men. Ivy responded by saying that most men identify with feminism ideologies but never get to say it out loud. She continued by saying that feminists are seen as these women who never go to the salon, or dress nicely or even get married. She gave an example of how she was even told to leave her feminism at the door before getting into the house by someone a while back.
The session and the presentation in general was received with very positive echoes and people were tweeting a lot about it. I was very happy about our presentation and the fact that we had done well!
I visited the Sex Museum the following day and went for a walk through the red light district, and this was a lifetime experience. I actually think I was very shy walking through the museum and the red light district. I was surprised at how liberated the Dutch people were about Sex!
This is not something you can find In Kenya and especially Machakos where I am from. I kept wondering how I would start explaining to my parents especially because of the culture of silence about sexual matters in African societies. This I must share with my sisters at the Camp during our Aunty’s box!
My last day in Amsterdam, we were invited to the mama cash office. They hosted us for lunch and I was very happy to meet the partners working with RCWG to support the camp program.
I also saw my fellow sisters from the camp in the june’s mama cash newsletter. This was very exciting especially because we were on the Cover page! Yaay!
The mama cash family was very friendly and welcoming and I was very proud to be part of such a great initiative.
I don’t take it for granted that I was chosen to represent more than 250 girls from the RCWG program, It was such an honor and I am very grateful to the Resource Center and Mama Cash for this wonderful life changing experience.
THANK YOU!!!
By Joy Mwende Kikuvi
On arrival, we were met by an Intern at the Mama Cash office called Heather, who would be our guide for the day. I noticed how clean the city was and that there were a lot of people cycling in the city and the bikes were even more than the people themselves. I have never seen so many bikes in my life!
We boarded a bus, different from how we do it back home of course, there is a more organised and systematic process to the transport system in Amsterdam and apparently in all of Europe, that I wish we could adopt back in Kenya. The bus took us to a stop near the hotel and from there we had to walk to the hotel which was about 5 minutes away. When we got to the hotel, we met other mama cash grantees who had come for the festival, Faith Phiri and Memory Banda, from Malawi.
We went for dinner with three of Mama Cash staff and Heather and there we got a small briefing of how the following day would be and what to expect.
The following day on Friday 26th June we were escorted to an Arts school which would be the venue of our rehearsal. We met two theatre and art directors Khadijah and Lennie took us through the presentation and delivery of our stories.
At the theatre we met Amber and Charlotte, from the Netherlands who would also be participating in the presentation at the festival. Our rehearsal session started by introducing ourselves and sharing our stories, which the art directors would then guide us on how best to deliver it.
I shared my inspiration to the group, which comes from a character called Akoko in the book the river and the source. Akoko is the daughter of a chief who married her off at 19. She got married to a chief as well and was unable to bear more than three children, and for that she was accused of witchcraft making her husband consider getting a second wife.
This did not sit well with Akoko and in her husband’s absence, she left and went back home something that was not very common among women during that time. Her courage, confidence and bravery to defy the harmful traditions bestowed upon her is one of the main things that inspires me.
This is because we are always taught to be like Akoko at the camp. To be confident and to be courageous, and most importantly to transfer the same skills to other girls who do not get the privilege of attending the camp.
FESTIVAL DAY…GELIK=ANDERS!! EQUAL IS DIFFERENT!!
The day I had been waiting for, the day I had heard so much about, and worked hard to prepare for was finally here! The theme of the festival was Gelik=Anders meaning Equal is different. This was such an exciting day and I was looking forward to the activities that would happen and most of all, the presentation I would be part of titled ‘NEXT GENERATION FEMINISTS’. We arrived at the venue earlier than the sessions were scheduled so as to do final touch ups on our rehearsals, which went very well and everyone had mastered their part of the presentation.
We were thereafter directed to the official opening of the festival which was done by the director of Mama Cash, Nicky McIntyre, and after that people went to different sessions by different festival organisers and participants.
I went to a session by Girls Rights Watch which reflected on issues on the post 2015 Agenda and whether youth should participate. I was not sure and I am still learning about what the post 2015 Agenda is, but it was a great session and also the fact that I got to speak despite the fact that I was the youngest in the room. I felt so empowered!!
Then came our session, ‘THE NEXT GENERATION FEMINISTS’. We headed to the room where we would be presenting and started getting ready and preparing and we waited for people to start coming in. In a few minutes, the room was already packed!! We had a great turn up for our session.
I was a bit nervous, but I was ready! I knew I would make my fellow sisters back home very proud. After everybody settled down, we started our presentation, Memory, went first and I followed. I gave it my all and represented the Akoko very well and I was also very proud of myself.
A Q and A session followed after our presentation, but Ivy, who accompanied me on this trip and Faith who accompanied Memory Introduced themselves first.
One of the questions asked was how people view Feminism in our countries, especially by men. Ivy responded by saying that most men identify with feminism ideologies but never get to say it out loud. She continued by saying that feminists are seen as these women who never go to the salon, or dress nicely or even get married. She gave an example of how she was even told to leave her feminism at the door before getting into the house by someone a while back.
The session and the presentation in general was received with very positive echoes and people were tweeting a lot about it. I was very happy about our presentation and the fact that we had done well!
I visited the Sex Museum the following day and went for a walk through the red light district, and this was a lifetime experience. I actually think I was very shy walking through the museum and the red light district. I was surprised at how liberated the Dutch people were about Sex!
This is not something you can find In Kenya and especially Machakos where I am from. I kept wondering how I would start explaining to my parents especially because of the culture of silence about sexual matters in African societies. This I must share with my sisters at the Camp during our Aunty’s box!
My last day in Amsterdam, we were invited to the mama cash office. They hosted us for lunch and I was very happy to meet the partners working with RCWG to support the camp program.
I also saw my fellow sisters from the camp in the june’s mama cash newsletter. This was very exciting especially because we were on the Cover page! Yaay!
The mama cash family was very friendly and welcoming and I was very proud to be part of such a great initiative.
I don’t take it for granted that I was chosen to represent more than 250 girls from the RCWG program, It was such an honor and I am very grateful to the Resource Center and Mama Cash for this wonderful life changing experience.
THANK YOU!!!
By Joy Mwende Kikuvi
Thursday, 28 May 2015
MENSTRUATION HYGIENE DAY- WOMEN'S HEALTH MATTERS-#MENSTRUATIONMATTERS
Menstrual Hygiene Day serves as a neutral platform to bring together individuals, organisations, social businesses and the media to create a united and strong voice for women and girls around the world, helping to break the silence around menstrual hygiene management.
Menstrual Hygiene Day will help to address the challenges and hardships many women and girls face during their menstruation, but also to highlight the positive and innovative solutions being taken to address these challenges.
The day catalyses a growing, global movement that recognizes and supports girl’s and women’s rights and build partnerships among those partners on national and local level.
It is an opportunity to engage in policy dialogue and actively advocate for the integration of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) into global, national and local policies, programmes and projects. It creates an occasion for media work, including social media.
(http://menstrualhygieneday.org/)
Working With young girls, the menstrual hygiene day is an important day for us. This is a day that not only raises awareness on issues surrounding menstruation, but also shows that we are a step ahead in the right direction in ensuring that we work towards addressing menstruation challenges that girls have during this period, Literally!!
Menstrual Hygiene Day will help to address the challenges and hardships many women and girls face during their menstruation, but also to highlight the positive and innovative solutions being taken to address these challenges.
The day catalyses a growing, global movement that recognizes and supports girl’s and women’s rights and build partnerships among those partners on national and local level.
It is an opportunity to engage in policy dialogue and actively advocate for the integration of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) into global, national and local policies, programmes and projects. It creates an occasion for media work, including social media.
(http://menstrualhygieneday.org/)
Working With young girls, the menstrual hygiene day is an important day for us. This is a day that not only raises awareness on issues surrounding menstruation, but also shows that we are a step ahead in the right direction in ensuring that we work towards addressing menstruation challenges that girls have during this period, Literally!!
Saturday, 28 February 2015
Thursday, 20 November 2014
October- The Ladies’ Month
October
is always a very interesting month for the female folk. It is that time of the
year when the world pays close attention to various issues affecting women! Itisfor
instance the breast cancer awareness month,
(every October 11 is the International day of the girl).But also because
there was random and particular coverage of general issues affecting women in
the world- the so-called ‘women issues’- in the media. In my country, we had
four pages of a key national newspaper dedicated to the International day of the girl, with the role of my first lady in
these celebrations carefully highlighted. I bet feminists that campaigned for
such focus five decades and more ago were smiling in their graves and the
living felt rewarded. Among the issues randomly covered in the media was ‘the
Taboo menstruating in India’ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia and street
harassment in New York http://time.com/.
Both
articles confirmed that every October is indeed a month for the female folk. The
articles only highlighted the issues that women confront everyday, in different
societies. Issues that have been normalized and will only receive focus in
October next year-if at all. I do appreciate the focus but it is all a
half-baked cookie. For instance, since it was the breast cancer awareness month,
women got discounted pap-smear tests and free breast cancer screening in
different hospitals in the city. This was a great initiative but it ought to be
conducted through the year- considering that a majority of Kenyan women cannot
afford such tests. Also, are such testing centers like this available in the
village? Not really.
This
is my way of saying that October is a blessing in disguise for women issues, but
it is also over-rated causing it to be a challenge. The real challenge is as a
result of setting aside a particular month for women issues-Women concerns continue
to lag behind the global and national agenda because they are separated from
society issues. October has almost become like December, the Christmas-month or
the Ramadan month. Like these religious months, it is easy to postpone women
issues until that time of the year- despite the fact that most women are
affected by most of these issues through out the year and the issues are
intertwined in other society issues. If this remains the case, women and their fundamental concern swill remain at the bottom of critical agenda and will be kept waiting
for another October before these issues are raised again (okay I may sound extreme
but this is the reality).
In
turn, men that occupy key decision-making posts will never understand the need
to put these issues on whatever agenda. Men will still not understand why
sanitary towels should be made free or cheaper for girls. They will not bother
to understand certain diets for female teenagers in high schools.Sex and
reproductive education in mixed schools will remain a topic that teenage boys
giggle about. As for the women, they will remain apologetic for their anatomy,
and elderly women will continue speaking in hushed tones when discussing the
female body. Sex and everything else it comes with like condoms and
contraceptives will remain ‘the sweetest
taboo’- to never talk about until marriage. If the October hype continues, we
will never have male feminists that understand gender inequalities and strive
to address them in our society. We will
continue to have bitter female feminists that campaign for the wrong causes and
often bring their understandable emotions to dealing with issues affecting
women.Then, sadly, we will never be the kind of feminists that Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie hoped
for. Check the video below or visit this link here.
Thursday, 6 November 2014
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
IDENTITY IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD
Identity_hmm,
who am i?
what do i see when i look in the mirror?
what do people say or think when they see me?
Do they see my color?
Do they see my talent?
Do they see ME?
Do I see ME?
These are some of the question most girls, young women and mature women ask themselves each day about themselves. Is it that we are brainwashed with what we see on media and social networking sites, trying too hard to fit into the 'right type' that inevitably forget who we are?
One of the most talked about item concerns race but most of all color; racial color. I watched the following video which stressed some of the concerns young women and girls face as they grow up, whether in Africa or the global world.
Although not in the same situation as that of Professor Yaba Blay - founder of (1)ne drop, many of us have experienced discrimination one way or the other based on their nothing else but their color.
which begs the question, "what is and is it to be dark skinned or light skinned, and what effects does it have on the little girl growing up in this digital age where light is considered better, but is it?"
I hope the following documentary covered reported by Soledad O'brien, provides you with a hind sight of identifying who you are or what are.
COLORISM
Tyra banks also talked about what color is and why people think that being lighter is better. does that mean being darker your are not good or even better? does it mean that you are any less of a person?
who am i?
what do i see when i look in the mirror?
what do people say or think when they see me?
Do they see my color?
Do they see my talent?
Do they see ME?
Do I see ME?
These are some of the question most girls, young women and mature women ask themselves each day about themselves. Is it that we are brainwashed with what we see on media and social networking sites, trying too hard to fit into the 'right type' that inevitably forget who we are?
One of the most talked about item concerns race but most of all color; racial color. I watched the following video which stressed some of the concerns young women and girls face as they grow up, whether in Africa or the global world.
Although not in the same situation as that of Professor Yaba Blay - founder of (1)ne drop, many of us have experienced discrimination one way or the other based on their nothing else but their color.
which begs the question, "what is and is it to be dark skinned or light skinned, and what effects does it have on the little girl growing up in this digital age where light is considered better, but is it?"
I hope the following documentary covered reported by Soledad O'brien, provides you with a hind sight of identifying who you are or what are.
COLORISM
Tyra banks also talked about what color is and why people think that being lighter is better. does that mean being darker your are not good or even better? does it mean that you are any less of a person?
by Caroline Mbinda
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
BREAST AWARENESS & EXAMINATION
October is considered to be pink significantly as it is the month women across the world strengthen their sisterhood bond by creating awareness of breast cancer and cervical cancer. Survivors voluntarily offering to become mentors and young women volunteering their services to promote this agenda.
With the prevalent cases in increase of breast and cervical cancer, promoting their awareness through the media, social networking sites and outreach programs provides the common citizen with information commonly ignored or brushed aside.
BREAST EXAMINATION
The resource center in support of Breast cancer and Cervical awareness program, is encouraging its beneficiaries in participating in open programs sponsored by medical hospitals within Nairobi such as Mater Hospital - BuruBuru and South B, and have free check-ups and learn how to perform a self examination by themselves and how to detect lumps.
The following is a demonstration of how to correctly perform a self breast examination
If you do not know your own body, who else will.
Be aware of your body
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