WOMEN EMPOWERED TOGETHER

Uwezo Girls and Women Self Help Group

1 Projects
We want to hold counselling sessions and weaving lessons for a month with at least 20 women, we hope this to be the first of many projects to empower women in our society.
We want to hold counselling sessions and weaving lessons for a month with at least 20 women, we hope this to be the first of many projects to empower women in our society.
$150
donated of $2,250 goal
5
supporters
207
Days left
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The Story

My name is Jacqueline Ruthi, I am a social worker from Kenya and I created a self help group called “Uwezo Girls and Women Self Help Group”. I work with 3 women Caroline Ireri, Alice Angeline Muthia and Mwende Kavungi, who also live in my town. Together we help single women affected by HIV/AIDS and other terminal illnesses, we collaborate in creating products to sell, teach different skills and provide counselling for them to adhere to their treatment regimen and deal with the stress of the discrimination that comes with it. 

3 pictures of counselling session.

We are located in the Taita Taveta County, and there are currently 15 women who come to our workshops. Together we have worked in a number of projects including weaving, making mats, detergents and other items, which we sell by advertising them on social media, through referrals and on market days in our town. 

Maps of Kenya and Taita Taveta County

The local church has allowed us to work at their facility one day a week, but in order for us to gain the independence that we need to provide for our families we need to do more. Our goal with this project is to be able to afford the rent of our own space for a month, a place where we will teach different skills and give counselling a group of at least 30 other women. We will be producing mats for you to get as a reward and for us to also sell locally to start an income source that will be the start to become financially independent. 

Pictures of our work

Because we are passionate about empowering women fighting with HIV and AIDS, we wish to organise at least two visits a month from an HIV and AIDS expert who will educate us on ways of living and eating healthy. We will also work to reach at least 20 sex workers who are single mothers as well, invite them to become part of the counselling sessions and train them on how to weave and make mats. 

Pictures of the weaving done by us and our workshops

With the goal of $2,250 dollars we will be paying for one month of rent, the salary for us running the project along with the weaving materials and two visits from an HIV expert. Please help us make this project a reality! 

Picture of our organization's registration by the government.

Potential Challenges

When we started out, we wanted to help single mothers and disabled kids, but in the process, I realised that these women were not just struggling with financial difficulties, they also had other problems and even worse, illnesses, so I decided to focus on single mothers infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Our major challenges are

1. most of the single mothers have to cater for their children needs on their own as the fathers have refused to be part of their lives.

2. Sex trade is so high in the county and most of these sex workers are single mothers

3. School dropouts due to early pregnancies is on the rise, thus the young girls become mothers at a very young age. 

4. Most of the HIV and Aids victims are discriminated against which leads to them losing hope and refusing to adhere to the doctors to take their medications diligently.

Project timeline

Campaigning
03/08/2017
Start
21/09/2017
Social media campaign
Workshops
05/10/2017
Rent Space
08/10/2017
Organize Women
12/10/2017
Weaving lessons
15/10/2017
Counselling
Wrap-up
26/10/2017
Shipping rewards
30/10/2017
Prepare next project
02/11/2017
Project ends
Campaigning
9 weeks
03/08/2017
Start
21/09/2017
Social media campaign
Workshops
3 weeks
05/10/2017
Rent Space
08/10/2017
Organize Women
12/10/2017
Weaving lessons
15/10/2017
Counselling
Wrap-up
1 weeks
26/10/2017
Shipping rewards
30/10/2017
Prepare next project
02/11/2017
Project ends

Project's cost structure

Budget cost overview
Wages
1600
Other
530
Materials
90
Equipment
30
Title Category Cost Est.
Salaries for a month for 4 women Wages $1.600
Rent of workspace Other $180
Weaving materials Materials $80
10 special crochet Equipment $30
20 normal crochet Materials $10
2 visits of HIV expert for counselling Other $140
Handling Fees Other $210

Team members

Weekly workshop

This update is part of:
2
Just another action

Yesterday we resumed our weekly meetings and we collected kshs. 900 (9dollars) which was given to one of our members as loan. We also had a heart to heart talk with members. We are looking forward to when we can do this every day!