Fund a Skills Academy for Women
Provide 30 Kenyan women from disadvantaged backgrounds with education, skills and confidence to lead independent lives.
Women learn technical skills and essential life skills to equip them for economic independence.
To discuss supporting this project contact jo@justpeoples.org
In the heart of Asembo, Kenya, economic hurdles, gender disparities including high levels of gender-based violence and early marriages disrupt the education of young girls and disempower women. Local leader Grace decided to break these generational cycles that hold women back and founded a skills training academy to empower women with the tools for economic independence.
After working as a teacher in Rwanda for eight years, Grace returned to her hometown, Asembo, to establish a transformative year-long program for women. Each year, 30 women from disadvantaged backgrounds complete 10 months of training followed by a two-month apprenticeship.
Grace's holistic approach extends beyond skills training. Her program incorporates entrepreneurship education, family planning, and ongoing support through savings programs and counselling. Classes are conducted in the local language, and are accessible to all women, regardless of their level of education. Mothers with young children are welcome and their schedules are accommodated.
Classes are conducted in the local language, accommodating mothers with children, and are offered free of charge.
Post-graduation, students receive ongoing business mentorship, access to microcredit, and an alumni referral network to help them find work, or establish themselves as entrepreneurs. Grace is committed to every single student becoming confident in themselves and financially independent.
Graduates serve as influential role models within Asembo, reshaping perceptions of how women ‘should’ live by demonstrating women's capacity for successful entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
Funding this project will put another 30 women through Grace’s life-changing program.
Meet Grace
The local woman ensuring girls in her community are educated, free and independent
Growing up, Grace observed the stark contrast between her path and the challenging realities faced by many of her peers, especially young girls. It was not uncommon to witness her friends dropping out of school due to early pregnancies and early marriages. The future seemed bleak for these girls, trapped in a cycle of intergenerational poverty with limited access to education, opportunities, and basic necessities. But Grace is changing this! Her passion and dedication to her community are the driving forces behind the transformative impact of Asembo Skills for Hope and she’s already making a significant difference in the lives of countless women. Learn more.