Community Building

The Kenyan Women’s Network introduces groups of women to a 4-year comprehensive and tested program that ensures an improved overall quality of life. The program and curriculum include health and wellness practices, financial literacy, personal development, basic bookkeeping, basic business skills, human rights, as well as a micro-financing program.

How It Works

Common bond

Sarah is part of a group of women from the same village. They have a common bond.

Have you heard?

They hear about Pangea from another group of women who’ve worked with Pangea and have successfully started a business as a result.

Workshop

Sarah and her group take the Pangea 6-month comprehensive and adaptive life and skills-building workshop.

Microloan

Sarah graduates and receives a microloan from Pangea to start her business selling maize on the side of the road.

Provide for family

Through savings and increased income, Sarah can better provide for her family’s needs, which includes sending her kids to school.

Growth

Sarah pays back the loan and receives a larger loan to grow her business. She now sells fish.

Home

Sarah is able to build a house with her profits. Her home keeps Sarah and her children warm and safe.

Repeat

Sarah becomes a Pangea mentor to help other program participants be successful and independent.

Our Objectives

Livelihood knowledge and skills

Basic Business Skills
Bookkeeping

Critical life skills training

Human Rights
Leadership
Personal Development

Health and nutrition

Personal Hygiene
Basic Nutrition
Reproductive Health

Improve income levels

Opening a formal group bank account
Individual and group savings goals
disbursing two rounds of 18-month revolving funds

Timeline

Before engaging a group, we perform an assessment using Grameen’s Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI) and a Pangea survey to establish baseline income, household decision-making power, etc.

During the first 12 months, we aim to achieve an increase in knowledge of critical life skills, health and nutrition, and livelihood skills.

Years 2 – 4, we conduct business mentorship, monthly monitoring of the group, assess progress via annual surveys and PPIs

Revolving funds are repaid and second round funding begins

Following year 4, the group takes on alumni status and has the tools and knowledge to mentor new groups

Why We’re Effective

Homegrown Approach >

Motivated
Groups >

Culturally Aware and Immersed >

Self-Sustaining >

The Network >

Pangea has empowered me and my business. I have learned much and bettered myself. I can feed my family and pay my children’s school fees. Now, my grandchildren are in school. I am grateful. I see a good future.
Phoebe, Kenyan Women's Network
If people see me that knew me before, they would not know me. I’m not like I was before Pangea. Even my children’s lives have changed and I can now pay for school. I am now working so my children can go to college. Pangea has changed my life. Pangea has changed my business. I can stand on my own and I am stable. I can teach my children what I have learned. And for that, I am happy.
Monica, Kenyan Women’s Network
Pangea has given me skills to help my community. If I don’t help, who will? We must now give back
Mwikali Aron, Kenyan Women’s Network
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to study and learn. I want to be a lawyer and help kids like you’ve helped me. All children deserve equal opportunity to learn and an equal chance for a future.
Cherlene, Youth Leadership Network, Scholarship Program in Kenya
 

Kenyan Student Sponsorship Program

“When 10% more girls go to school, a country’s GDP increases by 3%.” (USAID)

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students are receiving full-time shelter and online learning access via Pangea staff
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students are beginning a series of health and wellness sessions, including emotional intelligence tools, nutrition, exercise, and sex education

BOYS AND GIRLS RETREATS

The boys and girls in our Sponsored School Scholarship Program attend mandatory bi-annual three-day retreats, where students bond and share their successes and challenges in school and life. This unique Pangea program allows students to form a support system within the Pangea Network and learn additional skills through interactive discussions and lessons, team building, and personal development activities.

The Pangea Network’s sponsored students have an enthusiasm for learning and a passion for empowering themselves and others. Many of our sponsored students have faced backgrounds including poverty, lack of support for education, and sometimes even abuse but in every case they are triumphing over their unique challenges. We provide a means for these amazing children to go to safe local schools with clean uniforms and all of the necessary supplies, while providing support financially, emotionally and physically.

Each of our students varies in age and level of education, but their common denominator is a love for learning and the need for your help. Each student holds huge aspirations, striving to become lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers and more.

Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Program

At Pangea, we believe that adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) is a fundamental human right. That’s why we launched our newest program, TUDAI. TUDAI is a youth-focused initiative aimed at promoting reproductive health conversations among adolescent girls in Kenya.

The name TUDAI comes from the Kenyan youth slang word ‘Tubonge’, which means ‘let’s talk’, and ‘uwazi’, which means ‘transparency’. Through TUDAI, we want to encourage girls to have open and honest conversations about their reproductive health, facilitated by community members and peers.
Our goal with TUDAI is not only to educate girls directly about ASRH, but also to bring the topic into the public dialogue. We believe that ASRH is a responsibility that should be taken up and owned by entire communities. By empowering girls to talk about their reproductive health, we hope to create a culture of openness and acceptance around ASRH.

Through TUDAI, we provide girls with access to accurate information and resources related to ASRH, including information on menstrual health and sexually transmitted infections. We also work with community leaders and educators to promote ASRH education and awareness.
Our hope is that through TUDAI, we can empower adolescent girls in Kenya to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and create a world where ASRH is a priority for all.
Join us in our mission to make ASRH education accessible and equitable for all.

Why is this so important?
In Kenya, high-risk early pregnancy is a major challenge facing our society. Shockingly, in 2014, 15% of girls aged 15-19 had already given birth, and another 3% were pregnant with their first child. This is the highest rate in East Africa, and it’s having a devastating impact on our communities.
When girls become pregnant at such a young age, they are often unable to resume their education. This perpetuates the cycle of poverty, as these girls are more likely to become economically disadvantaged in the future. This, in turn, means that women are underrepresented in influencing careers in their communities, making it difficult for them to have a say in their own futures.

But the impact of early pregnancy is not just economic. Globally, pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death for girls aged between 15 and 19, according to the World Health Organization. This means that young women’s lives are being cut short before they’ve had a chance to reach their full potential.
It’s clear that we need to act now to address this issue. Young women need access to education and resources that will help them make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. By empowering young women with the knowledge and resources they need, we can create a brighter future for our communities and ensure that every girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential.