Twenty-eight women from diverse counties involved in amplifying marginalised voices last week attended a leadership programme in Kajiado by Nguvu Collective aimed at mentoring the next generation of Kenya’s change leaders.
Titled the ‘Launchpad,' the flagship programme comes at a time Kenyan women are grappling with a massive spike in gender-based violence, discrimination and social and economic inequities, which Nguvu Collective CEO Preethi Herman says they want to reverse.
“Launchpad Kenya is an event that I envisioned to support women change-makers from marginalised communities. I’m confident we will witness them emerge as powerful leaders who can drive positive social change in their communities,” Herman said.
The 28 women change leaders in the programme were drawn from nine counties, namely Isiolo, Kiambu, Kisii, Kisumu, Meru, Nairobi, Narok, Samburu and Vihiga.
Among them are 22 change leaders who have consistently raised their voices about social injustices. These include sexual and gender-based violence, maternal and menstrual health, teenage pregnancies and the exclusion of persons with disabilities.
The five-day residential programme started on Sunday and will run until May 30, within which time the change leaders will be taught how to proactively address the grave issues faced by Kenyan women.
“At the Launchpad, these leaders will be offered support to lead campaigns around issues they wish to impact and use their skills to bring about systemic shifts that will benefit millions of women,” Preethi said.
Harriet Afandi, a change leader campaigning for the prevention of Obstetric Violence (OBV) in hospitals, said her journey has evolved and progressed over the years because of the consistent support she received from Nguvu Collective.
“My goal is to promote the maternal and human rights of every woman. The training from Nguvu has helped me gain insights into how to move forward and reach out to policymakers to seek urgent and concrete action,” she said.
Naomi Kolian, an anti-FGM activist from Narok county said Nguvu Collective’s Launchpad has been a safe space for her to conceive collective solutions with fellow change leaders.
“It is empowering to be heard and to find both support and mentorship here. An initiative like this was much needed and instilled renewed confidence in those of us who have felt very isolated in our journey to driving social change,” Kolian said.
Preethi revealed that Nguvu Collective’s transformational leadership programme has trained over 400 women Change Leaders in India and more than 150 in Nigeria and South Africa.
Their campaigns, she said, have resulted in approximately 50 policy-level changes and directly impacted the lives of over 180 million women.
Among participants in the Kenyan flagship programme are three Change Leaders who ran for political office for MCA and Senatorial seats in the 2022 elections.
Two others are medical practitioners while one participant has been honoured with a Head of State’s Commendation (HSC) and has received recognition for her work in areas connected with women’s rights and education advocacy.