Second beginning Warembo Girls Project

Warembo literally means “ pretty” in Swahili. Warembo Girls Project aims to help women, often still girls, who live on the streets with their child. Their child was often born on the streets and the women make a living by begging or prostitution. Mombasa doesn’t offer any shelter for women with children in such a situation. Life on the streets is dangerous, unsanitary and the children who are born on the streets are often very weak.

The Munyasya couple started the Warembo Girls Project in 2005. The project’s aim is to provide women with a home for a period up to 3 years and to offer them care, guidance and training in this period after which they should be capable to take care of themselves and their child. Due to lack of financial means this project has come to a complete standstill. We are, at the moment, capable of taking care of one woman with her son. But there are so many more women on the streets that we would like to help.

This project needs a second beginning. Our intention is to take in 10 women as a start. A Swahili house (house with separate rooms but a communal kitchen and shower) will be rented for them. For the daily guidance, but also for the mental guidance, we want to appoint 2 staff members. The women are offered a training to become e.g. hair dresser or tailor and their children are accommodated at Dickson Children Centre during work and school hours. The women will have one or two children.

The budget is 1250,- euro per month based on 10 women. From this the costs for rent, electricity, water, meals, medication (especially for the already weakened children we expect high expenses), training, staff, some pocket money and transportation are covered.

Total amount needed for the entire project for 3 years: 47.000,- euro

Also included is 2.000,- euro for start- up costs for furnishing the house, sheets, blankets, kitchen utensils etc.