Girls to Women Foundation
A women-led CBO in Magarini, Kilifi County, empowering vulnerable girls through education, mentorship, and leadership programs. It addresses education, livelihoods, women’s empowerment, and climate justice, while providing dignity kits to keep girls in school amidst rising teenage pregnancies.
What we do
The Foundation is a legally registered, women-led community-based organization based in Magarini, Kilifi County, Kenya, and registered under the Ministry of Societies. Founded by young people from Magarini, the organization works to support vulnerable girls, women, and children, with a particular focus on helping girls from rural communities stay in school, complete their education, and develop the leadership and life skills they need to thrive.
Through mentorship and community-based programmes, the organization addresses key challenges affecting vulnerable communities, including education, sustainable livelihoods, water, sanitation and health (WASH), women’s empowerment, good governance, climate justice, and emergency response.
As part of its commitment to keeping girls in school and promoting their dignity and wellbeing, the organization is expanding its work to provide dignity kits to school-going girls. This initiative responds to the growing challenges of poverty, teenage pregnancies, and limited access to menstrual hygiene products in Kilifi County. For many families facing economic hardship, sanitary towels and other essential hygiene products are often difficult to afford, forcing girls to miss school or compromising their health and dignity.
By providing practical support alongside mentorship, leadership development, and community engagement, the organization seeks to create an environment where girls can remain in school, build confidence, and pursue their full potential.
Challenges
- Limited resources to sustain programs like mentorship, provision of dignity kits, and emergency interventions.
- Resistance to initiatives promoting girls’ education and women’s empowerment due to entrenched cultural norms.
- Difficulties in reaching remote areas with necessary resources and services.
- Widespread poverty hinders community participation and prioritization of the Foundation’s initiatives.
- Difficulty in raising awareness and advocating for systemic change in governance and resource allocation.
Achievements
- Mentored hundreds of KCPE and KCSE students through the Young Achievers Forum, pairing them with individual mentors.
- Facilitated career guidance and training for form four leavers during Career Fair Days, collaborating with universities and colleges.
- Established the Marereni Community Library, starting with 200 books to enhance local education standards.
- Constructed and operates the Marereni Public Sanitation Facility, providing affordable water and sanitation services.
- Implemented a comprehensive GBV prevention and response program in Kilifi County, linking with women rescue centers and training community leaders.
- Distributed sanitary towels and held motivational sessions, significantly improving menstrual hygiene management.
- Supported numerous women and girls living with HIV/AIDS through discussion forums and psychological support.
- Trained and empowered numerous women and girls in vocational skills such as salon/beauty, baking, and tailoring.
- Developed digital skills in rural communities, with programs like Rural Girls Can Code, including website design and online marketing training.
- Launched entrepreneurship programs, helping women start and grow businesses and creating open-air markets for product display.
- Hosted the Annual Young Women Human Rights Defenders Academy, enhancing the capacity and safety of women activists in Magarini and Kilifi.
- Established a training program for Young Women Politicians, fostering leadership and resource tapping in Coast politics.
- Developed a cadre of Women Budget Champions skilled in monitoring governmental budget processes.
- Led mangrove conservation efforts at Marereni Beach, planting new mangrove trees and cleaning waterways.
- Organized monthly environmental and beach clean-ups, significantly reducing coastal and urban pollution.
- Initiated the Talanta Community Cup, promoting climate justice through sports and environmental activities.




