YWE Rocks!

Young Women in Enterprise rock!

Today I was so fortunate to have spent time interviewing and photographing three young women who have successfully completed the YWE program with TechnoServe - the NGO I've been volunteering with here in Nairobi. I'm working on producing a storybook showcasing the triumphant accomplishments and overwhelming challenges these women have experienced.

I met with Joyce, a young woman in her first year at university where she's studying accounting and business management. She was #1 in the business plan competition in the YWE program and successfully created a baking business. She's taking a break from the baking right now to focus on school but looks forward to enrolling in a 5 month baking course to hone these skills. She's excited for the bright future ahead of her and is grateful for the self confidence and respect for others the YWE program has given her.

Cecilia was orphaned at the age of 11 when her mother died of liver cancer. She was the third child of six but quickly became responsible for her younger brother and sister. She was enrolled in a children's home where she was able to finish primary school. After primary school, she took a one-year vocational class in dressmaking. She turned to find work but had much trouble; she was just 16. One day she saw a girl wearing a sweater that caught her eye and she became interested in knitting. She was able to apprentice under a woman for four years who unfortunately paid very little for the sweaters she produced. Cecilia decided to branch out on her own and was able to purchase her first knitting machine with the help of the nuns from the children's home. Despite the new machine, Cecilia struggled with money and providing for her brother and sister. She became quite troubled and was contemplating suicide but couldn't imagine leaving her siblings. She came to know about YWE through a community businessman who encouraged her to look into the free program. She was immediately excited about the opportunity to learn about business as she was in need of taking her sweater making skills to the next level. Cecilia won her enterprise club's business plan competition and used the prize money to set up a kiosk in an accessible, safe location. Cecilia is an inspiration to others and believes in herself everyday despite the challenges around her. She looks forward to a future where she is able to grow her business, employ more people and have a family where she will give her children the childhood she did not have.

Maggy is a natural born leader. She has a passion for helping others and hopes to become a social worker or community leader for young women someday. She currently sells water to locals in her slum in addition to selling paintings of her own design. Maggy came to YWE just after finishing secondary school. She didn't have the funds to continue on to university and became quite interested in the entrepreneurship skills the YWE program was advertising. Maggy became a mother at age 19 but states that just because a young woman has a child it does not mean she can not succeed in her life. She's a role model to so many other young mothers in the slum who often feel like giving up. Maggy is a true entrepreneur and enjoys acting in local theatre clubs when she isn't being savvy with her water business. Maggy believes that when you invest in young girls you invest in a nation's future. Her motto is to never give up and it is clear that she never will.

Today was an amazing day as you can attest from the stories above. These young women face such steep hurdles in their lives; poverty, gender issues, violence, and HIV/AIDS. Despite the negative forces around them they have hope for a new day and believe in themselves as they are true vehicles of change. It was a true honor to be in their presence.