Wa-Kesho Organization

Wa-Kesho Organization - Empowering a Woman, Empowering a Family, Empowering a Nation

Fundraising Owner: Gwen Aman - Director - New York City. Collecting funds in the U.S. on behalf of Wa-Kesho Organization. 

Our Fundraising Objective - Updated July 2024:

On September 10, 2016, at 9:20 a.m., fire broke out in the building where we produced virgin coconut oil. Spreading quickly and with the firefighters of Mombasa County arriving too late, every machine in our workshop was destroyed. The one saving grace - no one was hurt! While we are currently renting a small building from a local church, our goal is to own land and build a facility that meets our needs. 

We started raising monies in the Fall of 2017, and with your generosity, we achieved one of our key short-term goals – acquire land! We are now the proud owners of two acres of land in Kilifi County which is about one hour north of Mombasa, Kenya.

As the process of subdividing land in Kenya is a slow one, we are still waiting for the official title to our two acres which is being subdivided from six. In the meantime, a copy of the mother title to the six acres and a mutually signed agreement from the seller allows us to start work on the land and to start raising money from corporations.  

Projects Under Way:

• Architectural drawings for our facility are completed

• Drill a fresh water well

• Install power through Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC)

• Build a temporary fence around the perimeter of the land

• Plant trees and flowers around the perimeter of the land

Long Term Projects:

• Build a facility to accommodate our workshops, classrooms, kitchen and living space on the ground floor, with dormitory type rooms for the girls on the first and second floors and two apartments for the program managers on the third floor. We already have two well established Kenyan companies interested in donating building materials.

• Expand the program by opening additional facilities in other counties within the Republic of Kenya

We kindly ask you to continue reading about our location, mission and success story.

About Kilifi:

• The seat of the county government is in the town of Kilifi, which is good for a community-based organization like Wa-Kesho.

• KEMRI (Kenya Medical Research Institute) has one of the largest malaria research centers in Kilifi, with doctors visiting from all over the world. KEMRI collaborates extensively with our very own US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Pawni University is in Kilifi. Ideally, we’d like to enroll our girls in their programs.

• We are about 5 miles from Arabuko Sokoke Forest. With 260 miles of protected forest, it is the largest and most intact coastal forest in East Africa.

About Our Land:

• The community and the chief have welcomed us with open arms and open hearts. 

• Our land is situated at a high elevation where the air is fresh and there's always a steady, lovely breeze. The soil is red and rich for agriculture, with an abundance of cashew and coconut trees.

Our Vision Statement:

Socially and economically empowered women in the society

Our Mission Statement:

To be a leading organization empowering women and the girl child by teaching skills for Income Generating Activities (IGAs)

Our Goal:

Wa-Kesho, registered under the Ministry of Gender Sports and Social Services, is a community-based organization founded in 2006 as a self-help group to empower women (age 15 years and above) through a vocation program.

Our primary goal is to eradicate poverty cycles among the orphaned and vulnerable girls in the community, taking a proactive approach by teaching them life skills and basic business management through IGAs. These IGAs include producing:

- Coconut Oil Bar Soap

- Dresses

- Cakes

- Kikoi

- Virgin Coconut Oil

- Amaranth Flour

Our Achievements to Date:

Since the inception of the program, 1,000+ girls have successfully undergone training as dressmakers and have graduated, passing grade 3 exams administered by the Government of Kenya. This program has grown from the initial capacity of 12 orphans and 7 sewing machines to the current 30 orphans and 40 sewing machines. Seventy-five percent (75%) of these girls are now doing dressmaking as a livelihood.

Thank you for your support! We are grateful for, and humbled by, your continued generosity.

Warmest regards,

The Wa-Kesho Team