Afrigirl

Eunice Anyango represented Kenya in the 55th Miss International competition and won the 2nd Runner Up and Miss International Africa titles. She is a fashion model and an entrepreneur. The very first thing you will notice about Eunice is her love for life and the people around her. Eunice had very humble beginnings. In her own words, she grew up in a place where girls were less privileged. Going to school for a girl was a dream that to many remained as that. Girls and women didn't have any independence. They didn't have an opinion. However, she was blessed enough to get the privilege of an education and the exposure of the very many opportunities in the world beyond the confines of her home village. Eunice has worked hard to get over a lot of hurdles and is now one of the top models in the country. She features as the brand muse for one of the leading fashion brands such as Adele Dejak . Although times have changed and girls (and even more boys) can now go to school, Eunic...

I first learnt of  Kusoma Tu Trust  while working at  Haba Haba . We had just launched this amazing learning and revision application -  Revision844  and were looking to work with various schools to test the app. The fact that the Kusoma Tu had piloted in a primary school that I had attended got me really excited and I wanted to know even more about it. A briefing during a visit to Kawangware Primary school. With the Habahaba.co team. Have you ever pictured yourself being in a situation where it's just a few months to your final exams yet you do not even know how to write your own name? Not being able to read simple 3 lettered words? How then would you be able to read questions, understand them and provide answers in the so called National (final) exam? What value will you have gotten out of primary school with? Some of the advanced readers. It was a joy going through passages together Well, as unbelievable as it may sound, there are kids...

I met Phyllis Wacuka Munene for the very first time in 2007, during an interview for bright female students who would later on be sponsored for Engineering courses by the Government of Kenya through the National Industrial Training Council. Phyllis and I were part of the 7 lucky beneficiaries sent to The Eldoret Polytechnic, where I studied Civil Engineering and she, Mechanical Engineering, plant division. Being in a completely new town and for the very first time in our lives saw to it that we stayed closely knit together as friends and more of a family. Our graduation day in 2010 Today Wacuka is one very sad lady. She lost her dad who was the sole bread winner, only remaining parent and best friend to her. She celebrates the moments they shared during his time on earth and how he was dedicated to raising his kids (Wacuka and her younger brother). What breaks her is the fact that her desire to lay the remains of her dad to rest are far from a dream at the moment. P...

I have been thinking to myself, why is it that there are kids as small as 5 years, who can stand before a multitude of people and deliver a speech without butting an eye? Take the case of Mutula Kilonzo's grandson during the late Senator's burial service. The small guy gave a speech in tribute to his grandfather, without fear and even cracked a joke. Why is it that may people find it hard to talk when in crowds or in the midst of people they are not used to? I will answer my question by asking you this question - What did your parent do in your childhood to ensure that you developed confidence in yourself, at an early age? In the same context of confidence, meet 10 year old Zuriel Oduwole, the youngest interviewee on the famous Forbes Magazine. She is an award winning documentary film maker and writer. That's not where it stops, Zuriel has also held interviews with leading African personalities, including eight current African Presidents, Africa’s ...

At 16, Laeticia Mukungu is the founder of the Women's Rabbit Association - a rabbit breeding enterprise. Proceeds from the enterprise fund a small salary for its 15 members as well as a micro-finance bank covering their children's educational needs; and personal micro-business ventures. She is young yet a blessing to many. Read more about the project and Laeticia on this blog .

Apparently, this is what some of our primary school girls believe. I had the great honour and opportunity to attend this year's Ikolomani South Zonal Educational day which took place at Eregi Girls' Boarding Primary School. The annual event normally details presentation of the previous year's K.C.P.E (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) examination results and trophies to pupils and schools with exemplary performance.  Just before giving my talk (I didn't consider it much of a speech), I decided to carry out a small survey where I gave out questionnaires to 3 anonymous girls. I asked the following questions in the questionnaires:     1.    Why are you in school?     2.    What would you like to become in future (career wise)?     3.    What qualifications do you require for you to become (your answer to 2)? I would like you to take a moment and ask yourself what...

Kakenya Ntaiya did what most girls would consider undoable….she traded a part of her body in order to be granted the chance to go to school. She agreed to undergo the infamous Female Genital Mutilation (FGM - which we all know is against the law and a big health risk to those who undergo it) only if her dad would let her go to High School - he agreed. Like many other girls from the Maasai community, Kakenya was betrothed at the age of 5. That meant that she already had a 'husband' in waiting and she only had to wait till her initiation (as soon as she reached puberty) which would now mean that she had now become a woman - ready for marriage to her 'fiancé' from since when she was 5. Deep down her heart she always knew that she wanted to study, she wanted to become a teacher. She wanted to dress in nice clothing and wear high heeled shoes. She didn't want to stay home and be a wife and mother, as that is the role of girls who attained puberty. All this inspiration ...