SLEC International

As a non-profit leader, I would like to amplify our impact through our Rural Women and Young Girls Empowerment Program. Our work is to transform livelihoods by inspiring women and young girls in rural communities and informal settlements to initiate and manage small businesses and take up leadership roles.  The Elevate Prize will enable us to expand our reach and increase our impact and ensure more girls are enrolling in institutions of higher learning.

My calling was stirred-up in my formative years. I was raised in a staunch Christian family that was blessed to afford basic needs.  My grandfather was as devoted local community preacher who raised 7 boys and 2 girls.  He taught his children the value God had on humanity and demanded of them to respect all, especially women.  Growing up in a family that never experienced domestic violence, it was beyond comprehension why our doctor neighbor would batter his wife.  One early morning at the age of 9 years, when the brutal husband had left for work, I walked into my neighbor’s house and inquired why she tolerated the violence. Her response that she couldn’t leave for the lack of an income to take care of her children, took me aback. This unfortunate early experience would define my calling and desire to empower women and girls. In my 10 years at SLEC International and working directly with women and young girls as brought me to the appreciation that men do also play a significant role in building healthy holistic communities.  Their support ensures the women succeed managing small business and young girls attend school and institutions of higher learning.

More than one-third of the population lives under the international poverty line.  Women in Kenya represent half of the country’s population but lack equal access to health, education, financial independence, earning power and political representation. Women have subordinate roles and are marginalized from autonomous decision making and control of resources. Adolescent girls have the least power and rights within the household and society. 50% of girls in rural Kenya are prone to early marriages, teenage pregnancies and female genital mutilation thus unable to complete their education and engage in decent employment and businesses.

We are on a mission to inspire, empower and promote communities towards holistic sustainable development. We realize this calling through programs that impart leadership, entrepreneurial and financial management skills in women and young girls in rural communities and informal settlements. Our interactive modules and capacity building sessions also address social ills such as gender based violence, prostitution, teenage pregnancies, early marriages and drug and substance abuse.  We encourage young girls to pursue higher education and take up leadership roles and the women to engage in decent and sustainable businesses. They attain financial independence and present themselves in decision-making spaces thus ensure their voices are heard. 

Whereas many organizations have a pre-determined proposal on what activities community members should engage in, our approach gives power to the woman and young girl.   During and after the capacity building program, we persuade the women and girls to identify and design their own small businesses and community projects.  Our experts are available to offer needed guidance to the women and young girls' up-to twelve months after training.   For those that join employment, we invite them to enrol into our mentorship program and guide them through their career trajectory journey. 

During our post program activities we advice our participants to establish table banking groups; Table banking is a group funding strategy where members of a particular group meet once every month, place their savings, loan repayments and other contributions on the table then borrow immediately either as long term or short term loans to one or a number of interested members. The members often use the money borrowed as capital for small business start-ups. In addition, we continue to address cross-cutting issues affecting women and young girls such as gender based violence, prostitution, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, female genital mutilation and drug and substance abuse.

We work with women and young girls in rural communities and informal settlements in Naivasha, Kenya. Our empowerment program focuses on imparting entrepreneurial, leadership and financial management skills.  We foster a Servant Leadership model: a leadership philosophy where the servant leader shares and puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and achieve their gifts and talents.

This approach inspires women and young girls to discover their individual and collective God given potential, encourages them to dream again and persuades them to realize these dreams. SLEC works through religious and non-religious institutions that select participants from diverse communities and denominations. 

Field trips are carefully chosen to identify with the needs of each community. Educational field trips are an integral part of training as they amplify and bring a practical approach to training sessions. Participants for the field trips are representatives carefully selected from the list of beneficiaries who demonstrate the skill and willingness to mentor fellow women and young girls.

Community based sustainable development projects and small businesses are encouraged. Small businesses and projects that foster Servant Leadership, promote entrepreneurship and improve livelihoods. The projects and small businesses are initiated and managed by women and young girls.