Twashinda

The Twashinda (‘We win’) project is an intensive mentorship and leadership training program that seeks to empower and transform the mind-set of rural teenage girls (aged 13-19) in five counties in Kenya i.e Nandi county, Kakamega county, Uasin Gishu county, Bungoma county and Turkana county. The program seeks to reduce school dropouts among upper primary and secondary school teenage girls, reduce teenage pregnancy and increase high school transition and participation rate. By exploring a myriad of topics ranging from leadership to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), this program hopes to:
   - Build rural girls’ understanding of their bodies and reproductive system
   - Educate teenage girls on the importance and value of education
   - Unlock the leadership potential of rural girls
   - Build a myriad of life skills for rural girls
   - Create and curate a safe learning space for rural girls as they    interact with different mentors and program stakeholders
   - Create a pathway for rural girls to transition to high school

Sub-Programs

Storytelling

An experiential program that hopes to build the confidence, tenacity and self-esteem of women and girls who join our organization. Our organization believes in the power of stories and as such we help our girls discover who they are by connecting to their experiences.

Career development

This is an intensive career development program that targets our high school changemakers. With the help of our mentors, the program curates special opportunities for girls to learn and explore different career paths. We are keen to provide the girls with all the information they need to successfully venture into their dream career.

Skills Development

How do we empower girls to be economically independent? This program tackles complex questions like this and equips girls with both hard and soft skills they need to survive. In this program we explore entrepreneurship, human rights, sexual reproductive health and other relevant skills like goal-setting and financial management

The Girls Educate Scholarship Program

Millions of rural girls in Kenya struggle to access quality secondary school education. At Life Lifters, we believe strongly that education has the power to lift rural girls from poverty and transform communities. Educated girls are more likely to secure employment, earn higher wages, and contribute to economic growth. The GES program intervenes at a catalytic transitional period for rural girls and supports them to access quality secondary school education by rewarding them with access to comprehensive multi-year scholarships. By making an investments in girls' education, the GES program eliminates financial barriers that hinder majority of rural girls from accessing quality education.

Our Impact so Far:

Merit and Need Based Scholarships Awarded

40000

Invested in Rural Girls' Education

100

Graduation Rates among Supported Teenage Girls

Wasichana Twashinda Program

Teenage pregnancy rates have hit crisis levels in many rural communities in Kenya. According to UNESCO teenage pregnancy and motherhood rate in Kenya stands at 18% which implies that about 1 in 5 teenage girls between the ages of 15-19 years have either had a live birth or are pregnant with their first child.
Life Lifters Twashinda Program provides comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) training to teenage girls aged (11- 19) from rural and grassroots communities. With the overall the strategic purpose of increasing high completion rates by preventing early sexual debut, teenage pregnancy and delaying subsequent pregnancies for teenage mothers, the program:

Increase Awareness on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights

Promotes and increases rural girls’ awareness and agency to reproductive health by exposing them to comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights training including training in reproductive health, reproductive rights, menstrual heath, Gender Based Violence, HIV/AIDS and other STIs, Contraceptives etc.

Advocacy against 'Sugar Daddy' Mentality

Advocates against the ‘sugar daddy’ menace that drives majority of rural girls into early pregnancy and marriage.

Exposure on Value of Secondary School Education

Educates and exposes rural teenage girls to the importance, benefits, and value of secondary school education.

Promote Easier Transition to Secondary School

Creates a pathway for rural girls to successfully transition to secondary school.

With support from Ipas Africa Alliance Life Lifters Kenya is currently implementing Project EmpowerHer in Nandi County. EmpowerHer is a comprehensive SRHR training and advocacy program on how to prevent first pregnancy cases, reduce subsequent pregnancies and avert unsafe abortion cases for teenage girls in Nandi county. By implementing this project our organization hopes to:

Increase SRHR Knowledge

EmpowerHer increases rural girls’ awareness and understanding about sexual and reproductive health, including topics such as puberty, contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and pregnancy.

Promote Informed Decision-Making

The project equips the incubated teenagers with accurate and age-appropriate information to make informed decisions on their Reproductive Health (RH) as a strategy for reducing unplanned pregnancies.

Advocate Support Against Teenage Pregnancy

We have forged strategic partnerships with Kamimei Bodaboda Association to advocate against teenage pregnancy and the sugar daddy menace that drives majority of the rural girls into early marriage or teenage pregnancy.

Gallery

Life Lifters Women Dignity Centers

Life Lifters Women’s Dignity centers are stores aimed at providing essential reproductive health items, information and resources to women and girls in rural and grassroots communities, promoting their dignity and general well-being. These centers provide a one stop shop for rural girls and women to come and access the much needed reproductive health information and resources such as sanitary towels, soaps , clean underwear etc.

Girls' Educate Scholarship Programme