Women's Action Center, Kenya

The Women’s Action Center empowers the women of the Kayafungo community in Kenya by creating a secure environment for the micro-enterprise of a soap making business. Established by the Kayafungo Mungano Women’s Group (KMWG), the soap making business helps to alleviate poverty, increase sanitation and the overall standard of living in Kayafungo. In addition to providing space for the KMWG business, the Action Center will serve as a training center, counseling center, and general meeting place for the local women’s groups. The Action Center will allow for women to have a safe environment to discuss topics such as sanitation, female health and rights, violence and abuse, healthy relationships and keeping girls in school.

The Action Center allows for women living in a male dominated rural community to promote independence, education and methods to improve their health. The project addresses the women’s need for unity and access to reproductive health education and sanitation. Additionally the women will address how to increase female enrollment in schools, and how to deal with violence and abuse. The KMWG will be trained and then will train others in health and sanitation issues, which will lead to a cycle of informed women. The soap business generates revenue for the women to build sanitation infrastructure such as latrines, first aid stands and hand washing stations. The soap business also creates revenue to maintain the Action Center.

The total project budget, including Action Center construction, health workshops, and education supplies is $17,000.

Alexandra Crosson, Think Impact Fellow, will live in Kayafungo, Kenya for 10 months while she works with KMWG to carry out this initiative. She can be contacted by email at: alexandra@thinkimpact.org.