My journey with she leads began in October 2021. I came in as a GYW under Teenseed African an organisation that works in Kiambiu informal settlements. At the time I was playing the role of running their SGBV and survivor rescue centre team lead. I worked closely with the community on norm change and response to SGBV as well as rescuing young girls who were survivors of violence.

I joined the space with knowledge on how to change my specific community however that was a very minor scope compared to how far we were able to come in the program.

Due to our involvement in planning as GYWs in the program we were able to pilot the first inclusive meeting with GYWs with disability in the community. They were a marginalised group that did not have a platform to learn about human rights, GBV referral pathways as well as sensitisation on how to access disability cards.

The program supported us in doing the first mass registration of GYWs and community members with disability to access disability cards. This activity led to me being selected into the community health council (CHC). The council that governed and monitored Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in the community on how well they conducted their work in the community. The platform also enabled me to educate my fellow community members and other community health promotors on inclusivity as we did our work.

The success of the mass registration which was the pioneer of the first mass registration for GYWs with disability led to subsequent registration in Korogocho and in Mukuru informal settlements.

I became the GYW safeguarding focal person in 2022 which became another platform where I learnt how to safeguard the young women in the program as we run program activities. Through the opportunity I learnt to always ensure that the safety and well being of all GYWs in the program as well as in my community.

Being the GYW safeguarding focal person also taught me to always ensure that every space that our GYWs was safe and inclusive. It has also taught GYWs to always ensure that as they plan their activities, they ensure that all GYWs are protected and are safe.

I also had a chance to participate in creation and presentation of the memorandum to the Persons with Disability Bill that has been passed into law. It was an experience that showed me how to voice and ensure government documents made changes. Through it, I also got to know how to prepare memoranda that can be used to advocate changes of law documents that affect lives of GYWs.

The trainings I went through in the program enabled me to learn how to use the skills to positively impact the lives of young women in the community, as well as my own. The organizational structuring training conducted this year equipped me with the confidence and knowledge to move forward with my future plans of opening my own organization. This had been a long-held vision, but I previously did not know how to articulate it.

The trainings also equipped me in knowing how to handle the different dynamics of GYWs in the program. As the safeguarding focal person there we times that the dynamics of the group caused a lot of conflict which led to some members feeling discriminated by others. However, after the VCAT training the girls were able to learn how to be inclusive which made my work easier and keeping an environment that was safe and inclusive.