Teach Kenyan Women Self-defense Lessons

Hi! My name is Amalia Sanchez, and from the 9th to the 22nd of July, my aunt, Aminta Steinbach, and I will lead a self-defense course for the Boda Girls in rural Kenya! While we will only be there for a short amount of time, the program is designed to teach the Boda Girls how to teach self-defense to others, creating a long-term impact through a training of-trainers model.

The Boda Girls is a non-profit with a mission to empower young women and girls in Kenya, training a group of powerful young women to run a taxi service specifically stationed to support women's health and wellness (free/reduced trips for pre/post-natal care, survivors of sexual assault, etc). Boda Girls is part of a larger local non-profit, Matibabu Foundation which will act as our host as we join forces to support Kenyan high school girls by teaching self-defense at a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) camp. These same instructors will then continue teaching self-defense classes in afterschool programs centered around wellness and sexual health.

While this is truly inspiring work, it can also be dangerous, with the Boda Girls being at risk for robbery and assault. And that's where Aminta and myself come in!

Aminta has been practicing martial arts for more than 30 years and currently has her fourth-degree black belt in Kajukenbo. She has traveled the world offering self-defense training to groups of youth and adults and has created a flexible program for the Boda Girls that will honor their needs and experiences. I have been practicing martial arts for 12 years and am proud to have attained a first-degree black belt! Together, we want to positively impact the Boda Girls and make friends along the way!

To do this, we need your support with in-country travel expenses, food and boarding with local families. Any donation will be greatly appreciated, and for every dollar donated, we are one step closer to making this plan a reality!