I'm Worth Defending

19/04/2026

16/04/2026

School Holidays Sensitization for Teen Girls and Teen Boys in Kisii!

We are thrilled to share highlights from our recent two-day training on Adolescents' Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) and Life Skills in Kisii County. Following a successful mission in Transmara, Narok County earlier this week, we transitioned to Kisii to empower another group of vibrant young people during their school holidays.

This engagement that took place at the Eberege DEB Comprehensive School maks a significant milestone for us, since it was our first-ever mission in Kisii County. Over the course of the training, teen girls and boys participated in interactive sessions and deep-dive discussions focused on understanding Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH), navigating community-specific challenges, and mastering the art of assertiveness and boundary setting. We also dedicated time to goal setting and decision-making and interpersonal relationship to help them build successful educational careers and lead healthy lives.

It was truly encouraging to witness so many young minds eager to learn and grow. By the end of the sessions, participants had acquired the knowledge and confidence to navigate the labyrinth of life, making informed decisions regarding their bodies, relationships, and future ambitions. We are incredibly grateful for the energy and openness the youth of Kisii brought to this two days forum.

A heartfelt thank you to our partner, Kakenya's Dream Organization, for the opportunity to interact with and impart vital skills to the young people in this region. This debut mission was an inspiring success, and we are already looking forward to many more similar engagements in the County. To other like-minded stakeholders who would like us to embark on a similar mission together, we are open to engage.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our journey of empowering communities and transforming lives!

11/04/2026

School Holidays Sensitization for Teen Girls and Teen Boys!

We're thrilled to share highlights from our ongoing school holidays day training on Adolescents Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Life Skills for teen girls and teen boys in Transmara Narok County.

Over the past two days, participants engaged in interactive workshops, discussions, and activities focused on: Understanding Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH); Navigating the challenges that teen girls and teen boys face in the community; Assertiveness and Boundary Setting; as well as Goal Setting and Decision Making for Successful Educational Careers and healthy lives.

It is inspiring to see so many young minds eager to learn and grow! Participants acquire valuable knowledge and skills that will empower them to make informed decisions about careers, their bodies and relationships.

Thank you once again to our partner the Kakenya's Dream Organization for the opportunity to meet, interact with, and impart vital skills and knowledge to the young people of Narok County and for the first time Kisii County where we will be heading to next week.

To our online community, stay tuned for more updates and future events as we continue to empower communities and transforming lives.

23/02/2026

New Beginnings & Sustainable Success at Makimei Children’s Home!

This past Saturday, February 21st, IWD was honored to attend the high-profile launch of the new ultra-modern building at Makimei Children’s Home in Gitaru. Our presence celebrated a flourishing partnership and a shared vision for the future as they organized the high-profile launch of their new ultra-modern children’s home. Our presence was a testament to our solidarity and the deep-rooted partnership we share with this amazing institution, having been formerly introduced in August last year.

As part of our commitment to giving back, IWD’s Economic Empowerment Department recently trained the home in Ankara handbag making. We are incredibly proud to report that the team has fully mastered the craft and they are now producing these beautiful pieces entirely on their own. Seeing them take full ownership of this project is exactly why we do what we do in our quest to empower communities. A wide range of these handbags were sold at the launch, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the home’s account to support the day-to-day running of operations at the institution.

Our sincere gratitude goes to Executive Director Ms. Rachel for welcoming us to collaborate, and to Ms. Anneliese Hurkmans and Mr. Kees Smolders from the Netherlands who introduced us to this wonderful team and made this synergy possible.

At IWD, we believe that transformation happens through collaboration. We remain open to partnerships and networking with like-minded individuals, corporate bodies, and organizations. Whether you are a local business or an international donor, we welcome you to join us in creating more success stories like this one.

19/02/2026

In our efforts to broaden our partnership and collaboration with other like-minded organisations and individuals across the board, we were delighted to host Ms Bentah Achieng, Project Coordinator of Empower Van for Kenya at our office. It was an invaluable opportunity for us to engage in meaningful discussions about potential collaborative initiatives that could amplify our collective impact in the Country, particularly through programmes targeting the refugee population.

As an organization, we firmly believe in the power of partnership and we are always open to networking with other dedicated individuals and organizations who share our unwavering vision of a violence-free society where every person's rights are valued, respected, and protected.

We are incredibly grateful to you Bentah and the entire fraternity of Empower Van for taking the time to connect with us and explore ways to work together and for promoting our survivor support efforts by purchasing items from the IWD Economic Empowerment corner at our office workshop.

Let's build a better future, together!

28/01/2026

It has been over a month since we facilitated the Health and Leadership camp trainings for our longstanding partner Kakenya's Dream Organization in Transmara Narok County. However, some moments remain etched in our minds as a sobering reminder of why the work we do is so critical.

One afternoon, as we were busy engaging with the participants at the camp, a young girl was brought in in a state of physical and emotional shock, bleeding from bruised knees, after being dragged on the ground by abductors who had stormed her school and wanted to take her to an elderly suitor on the very day of her final KCSE exam paper. While her peers celebrated their academic milestone, the girl's family had already orchestrated a plan to "marry her off," viewing the end of her schooling merely as the commencement of her life as a child bride. Luckily her elder brother and a friend of his who had caught wind of the plan came to her rescue and with the help of the law enforcers from the area, the perpetrators’ mission was botched.

This harrowing incident highlights the reality that despite a robust legal framework, retrogressive practices like child marriage and Female Ge***al Mutilation (FGM) remain rampant because they are justified, maintained and perpetuated by deeply entrenched community mindsets.

However, this case also offers a powerful blueprint for change through the lens of male engagement as the girl’s rescue was made possible only because her elder brother and a male friend stood in total opposition to the family’s plan, engaging in a physical struggle to secure her freedom. Their intervention underscores the vital role men and boys play as allies in the pursuit of gender justice.

When men transition from being bystanders or perpetrators to becoming active protectors and advocates for their sisters and daughters, the impact is transformative. As such, we must continue to engage men and boys as primary stakeholders in these efforts, as their voices are often the most influential in dismantling the patriarchal structures that sustain Gender-Based Violence (GBV) especially in patriarchal societies like ours.

We owe a profound debt of gratitude to our host the Kakenya’s Dream Organization (KDO) for being at the forefront of this battle in our Country. Their unwavering commitment to GBV prevention and the promotion of girl-child education has created a foundation of hope for many at-risk pupils and students from the wider Narok County and its environs.

By consistently engaging us over the years to conduct vital Assertiveness and Boundary Setting training and by extension engaging us in programming that is aimed at dismantling negative social norms in the County, we are reminded that while the work to change hearts and minds of community members is slow, it is the only path toward a future where a girl’s education is celebrated rather than cut short by violence. We remain committed to this noble work, ensuring that every girl has the right to a future defined by her own potential rather than by harmful traditions.

22/11/2025

A big shout out to everyone who participated in our recent gender, life skills, reproductive health, and leadership training series! We were so inspired by the engagement and enthusiasm of all the in-school and out-of-school girls and boys from across the community in Transmara and it's environs.

We hope the knowledge and skills gained will empower everyone of you to make well informed choices in life and contribute positively to the embetterment of the society.

Once again thank you to our partner Kakenya's Dream Organisation for entrusting us with the task to meet with, interact with and impart valuable knowledge and skills to the young people from the community.

Stay tuned for future opportunities like this!

16/11/2025

Our team was privileged to attend the inaugural Wakati Wetu Festival, which was Africa's first reparations festival, that was held at the Entim Sidai Wellness Sanctuary in Nairobi, Kenya on October 22–23, 2025 The two-day festival was designed to offer a fresh hopeful lens on reparative justice by addressing the past and building a just future, through collective learning and imagining a better future.

Themed: "Resist, Repair, and Reclaim", the festival was a blend of "edutainment" and "community engagement", that featured cultural events among them storytelling, live music, theatre, art exhibitions, film screenings, workshops and panel discussions on topics like climate justice and economic exploitation, in order to advance reparative justice for Africans and people of African descent, through ignition of global conversations on reparative justice and social change while promoting solidarity and collective healing, climate change mitigation, reversal of economic inequality, and racial domination.

This event was the first of its kind to be held in Africa and was envisioned as the start of a series, that is aimed at building momentum for the African Union's Decade of Reparations, which is part of a broader campaign for Africans and people of African descent to spark social and behavioral change and build solidarity within the movement. The festival was co-organized by a coalition of organizations, including the African Futures Lab and AU ECOSOCC.

26/09/2025

Peace Celebrations: Act Now For A Peaceful World! Act Now For A Peaceful Kenya!

Earlier this week, we had the privilege to join other peace actors in Nairobi at the Westlands Baptist Church for a vital debriefing forum following a week of impactful activities to mark peace celebrations focused on this year's theme: "Act Now For A Peaceful Kenya".

During this one day forum, participants shared experiences, discussed the week's successes and challenges, and collaborated on strategies to further advance peacebuilding efforts in Nairobi and beyond, as part on an ongoing peace process.

The forum served as a crucial step in strengthening collective commitment and ensuring the momentum from the celebrations continues to foster a more peaceful community as we move closer to the general elections here in Kenya in 2027.

29/08/2025

As part of our resource mobilization for the upcoming visit to Kitui for the Pads and Panties project, we had the privilege to host an exhibition sales drive at the Lakeview Estate, Nairobi, courtesy of friends of IWD Ms Rakiya Omaar, and Miss Hibo Omaar. Proceeds from the sales will go towards the project and to the women who were involved in the production of the products under our Economic Empowerment project. Thank you Rakiya, Hibo Omar, Madam Florence and Miss Lula, and the Lake View Community for the love and continued support.

26/08/2025

During this year's International Youth Day, we were the privilege to join our partners Amani Kibera to mark this year's celebrations themed Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond. Among those who visited our stand was the Nairobi County's County Executive Committee Member Mr. Geoffrey Mosiria.

09/08/2025

This week on Wednesday 6th August 2025 we had the privilege to host Ms Anneliese Hurkmans and Mr. Kees Smolders from Netherlands at our office in Nairobi, who were accompanied by friends of IWD Christine Ouko and George Ojijo of Emerging Stars Football Academy/Talanta Bora Ltd, and Esther Njambuya of Faulu Tana Women.

As part of the tour in the community, we took the delegation for some home visits in Korogocho and later on to the Dandora Dump site where some of our project participants operate.

Thank you Annaliese and Kees for the gift hampers, the project participants really appreciated the kind gesture.