A charity foundation registered in Texas, USA has officially launched in Nairobi.
MUWA focuses on supporting the education of academically average students (students who score C and D) from disadvantaged backgrounds and is especially keen on educating and mentoring teenage mothers and boys who are being raised by single mothers.
MUWA is passionate about developing leadership in young people and instilling in them a sense of dignity.
“Teenage pregnancy and subsequent motherhood presents a major challenge to a girl child who has no social support from family, friends and the community. MUWA seeks to identify and empower the most vulnerable teen mothers in Kenya. We aim to offer these young mothers access to education and economic empowerment through training and skills building,”stated MUWA Founding trustee Muthoni Kanyana.
The foundation that launched at the weekend wants to help 100s of students; currently, they are sponsoring about 17 students through both secondary school and University education.
Apart from the sponsorship the foundation also has a mentorship programme, which runs annually.
“We started the foundation with calling on our friends to sponsor just one Kid, through school but things come up and they are unable to go on, we have therefore set a fund we want to pool resources and help the kids we will be taking once a year,” she explained.
The mentorship programme is specially prepared for the Foundation’s beneficiaries and includes life skills training such as social etiquette, career mentorship, sex and reproductive health.
“The boys also get specialized coaching from male mentors who are out to provide a positive male influence in their lives,” Kanyana stated citing that the boy child has been neglected.
Each MUWA beneficiary requires about USD 600 (Sh60,000) in high school fees per year for 4 years.
“We are looking to partner with schools and institutions so as we raise a generation of importance, everybody deserves a chance,” she added.
According to the Kenya Population Situation Analysis report 2013, Kenyan girls are becoming mothers at very young ages. The statistics show that 103 in every 1,000 pregnancies in the country are attributed to girls between the ages of 15 and 19.
The report also shows that in every 100 girls in Kenya, 26 are married before the attaining the age of 18.