Join me in helping others for my 50th Birthday

On June 20th, I will celebrate my 50th birthday. In honor of that I want to raise funds for Passion to Share Foundation (PSF). You can read below why it would mean the world to me if you could help.

On May 5th, we returned from a 12-day trip Kenya--without a doubt the most beautiful trip EVER. Jesse and Loki agree, although Loki, with his fourteen years, has not travelled that much yet. In addition to the most amazing safari, which was a complete reset for my post-covid, burn-out brain, thanks to our new friend (and safari guide) Martin, I was able to meet Lydia Opiyo. She is by far the most inspiring woman I have ever met. She is the founder and director of PSF and makes dreams come true.

A very brief explanation about PSF: As a non-profit located in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa, their mission is “To be a force for eradicating poverty in African villages by bringing hope and a brighter future to young adults through, mentoring, technical skills development and entrepreneurship training.” PSF empowers young women and girls by providing a free 6 month training program in computer graphics and fashion & design (including tailoring skills). Through their “Gift her Hands Program,” Passion to Share is able to touch lives and improve the economic status of girls and young women in the slums. And I have seen this with my own eyes. I was lucky enough to meet and talk to not only Lydia, but also 15 of the 16 girls and women currently in the program, as well as their teachers. I am deeply touched by what I saw and heard. And since coming back from Kenya, I have thought of ways to help Lydia and these women and girls.

Never in my life have I seen the level of empowerment of women and girls as PSF provides. To understand this, a little context helps. These girls, like everyone else in the slums, often only eat breakfast and dinner, if lucky. They live with about 8 people in little shacks without windows and doors, of approximately 9m2 (12ftx12ft). They share a toilet (a hole in the ground) with around 150 people, for which they have to pay. Because there is no running water in the slums, people also have to pay for any water they need. So, what happens when there is not enough money for these basic needs--which often is the case? Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for women and girls to be forced into prostitution or criminal activities in order to survive. Trauma is thus a common result of life in the slums. And during my walk through the Kibera this was palpable. In Kibera, life expectancy is only 30 years! (In comparison, in the US it is 79, and in NL it is 82.) Despite all of this, Kibera also is a place of hope. PSF is living proof of this.

These women’s transition from surviving the slums to having a sense of dignity and ownership of their lives radiated from their stories. Not only does PSF provide them with a way out from merely surviving to having jobs by training and mentorships, it also helps these women and girls discover their talents. This is very valuable, as some of them did not even realize they had talents other than surviving. In addition, the women and girls realize that, with their newly gained skills, they could significantly contribute to their family and community, a sense of pride and self-determination being the result. In my opinion, these are perhaps the biggest gifts one may give and receive.

As of this moment, 162 women and girls applied for the PSF training program starting in July, after the current group graduates. Unfortunately, due to limited funding, only 16 women and girls can start. One person’s cost for the six-month program is approximately $600. Seeing with my own eyes how lives in deep poverty are changed by this program, I am deeply motivated to help Lydia make that change one woman at a time. How about together we try to support three women/girls through the program starting this July?

Please consider giving to this amazing project in order to celebrate my birthday. Literally every dollar or euro helps. So, do not hesitate if you have only one dollar to share.

With warm wishes,

Kathalijn

-Inspired to read more about Passion to Share Foundation? Passion To Share Foundation – Empowered To Empower

-For more information about Kibera: Kibera: a look inside Africa’s largest slum | Concern Worldwide