Givology - give to learn, learn to give

Across the world, and especially in Kibera, adolescent girls are marginalized and more vulnerable than boys. In addition to struggling with extreme poverty on a daily basis, girls often face tragedies like early marriage, sexual violence, and female genital mutilation from a very young age. What is more alarming is that less than 1% of girls in Kibera have access to a girls-only program. Giving girls a safe space, both physical and emotional, in which to express themselves is crucial to helping them escape poverty and leverage important opportunities.

The Binti Pamoja [Daughters United] Core Program mentors girls between the ages of 10-17. Run by program staff, the core program helps girls discover their personal leadership and build confidence. Using arts activities like photography, drama, and dance, the program empowers girls while also teaching them important life skills about sexual and reproductive health and financial literacy. After girls graduate from the Core Program, they create their own Safe Spaces support groups in the community, mirroring the Core Program's model. Typically meeting in local churches and schools, these Safe Spaces help girls develop leadership skills and confidence and reach girls in all areas of Kibera.

When you contribute to the Binti Pamoja Core Program you are investing in the next generation of female leaders. Your support ensures young women in Kibera continue to have access to role models and safe spaces for receiving support, building confidence, and developing as young leaders in the community. By investing in the adolescent girl, and you will be helping to secure a positive future for girls in Kibera and beyond.

CFK has a long and established history of successful partnership and integration of new programs. Perhaps most illustrative of this is our Binti Pamoja (Daughters United) program. What began as a collaborative partnership between CFK and the program's founders evolved over time into one of our core programs and an accomplished platform for young women's reproductive health, rights, and leadership development.

CORE PROGRAM

Established in 2002, the Binti Pamoja [Daughters United] Core Program mentors girls between the ages of 10-17. Run by program staff, the core program helps girls discover their personal leadership and build confidence. Using arts activities like photography, drama, and dance, the program empowers girls while also teaching them about sexual and reproductive health and financial literacy.

SAFE SPACES

Binti Pamoja is known for its innovative "cascading leadership" methodology. After girls graduate from the Core Program, they create their own Safe Spaces support groups in the community, mirroring the Core Program's model. Typically meeting in local churches and schools, these Safe Spaces help girls develop leadership skills and confidence and reach girls in all areas of Kibera.

NEW CENTER FOR GIRLS

CFK has almost completed construction on a brand new center for the Binti Pamoja program. It will triple the space that the program currently has, and will feature a conference center and counseling services for all girls who need them. The 3-story center will be dedicated to the girls of Kibera, and will provide them with a permanent space that they can call their own.

Since the program was first launched, CFK has reached over 10,000 girls from Kibera and helped support Binti Pamoja alumnae facilitate over 50 Safe Space groups throughout the community.

From Annual Report FY 2016:
-2,530 girls reached regularly through the binti pamoja girls program
-750 girls reached through binti pajoma community outreach forums

From Annual Report FY 2015:
-2,310 Girls reached through binti pamoja girls program
-1,070 Girls reacher through the after school program
-1,240 Girls in Safe Spaces

To improve outcomes related to education, employability, and economic development, Binti Pamoja has incorporated computer and technology skills training into its curriculum by partnering with Nairobits, a local organization that offers youth training and skills certification for basic computing, web design, and digital communications. Many Binti Pamoja girls have completed these courses and CFK is now in the process of building its own computer lab in CFK's brand new Binti Pamoja Center building completed in October 2017.

Finally, recognizing that financial literacy is an essential component to long term improvements in economic opportunity and status of young women in Kibera, Binti Pamoja partnered with the Citi Foundation to develop a financial literacy curriculum that was piloted, refined, and became a core component of the Binti Pamoja program.

Our Binti Pamoja Core Program is run by a team of CFK staff and volunteers, including two full-time project coordinators who are both Kenyans and residents of Nairobi. Volunteers are typically residents of Kibera and many times graduates of the program. Aligning with our "cascading leadership" model, graduates of the program are empowered to facilitate their own Safe Spaces support groups in the Kibera community, mirroring the Core Program's model.

Sarah Waithira, Binti Pamoja Program Officer

Sarah is the Daughters United (Binti Pamoja) Program Officer and the acting Head of CFK's Social Services Department. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Communication from Catholic University. Sarah has 9 years of experience in social and community work with a passion for working on issues related to adolescent girls. Sarah's career objective is to mobilize, work with and realize social and economic transformation of girls from poor backgrounds; she is a strong advocate of social justice. Her competencies include but are not limited to participatory development, monitoring and evaluation, program management, social economic analysis and lobbying for policy change for vulnerable groups. She supports CFK in growing talent and capability within the community.