Wa-Kesho Organization - Empowering a Woman, Empowering a Family, Empowering a Nation

Fundraising Owner: Gwen Aman - Director - New York City. Collecting funds in the U.S. on behalf of Wa-Kesho Organization.

Our Home: Thanks to Mombasa Cement, we occupy part of a compound located across the road from Sahajanand Special Needs School in Mtwapa, Kenya.

Our Fundraising Objective (updated September 2026):

We are seeking funding to support four key initiatives that will strengthen our dressmaking program and create meaningful opportunities for women in our community:

1. 25 Electric, Computerized Sewing Machines – Equip our dressmaking classes with modern, reliable machines that allow students to develop valuable, marketable skills.

2. Business Startup Kits for Graduates – Provide women who complete our program with the essential tools to launch their own small businesses, including a sewing machine, iron, and basic sewing supplies such as needles and thread.

3. Dressmaking Materials – Ensure our classes have the fabric, thread, notions, and other materials students need for hands-on training and practical skill development.

4. Ongoing Machine Maintenance – Maintain and repair our sewing machines so they remain reliable, functional, and available to students for years to come.

Your support can help transform a skill into a livelihood. By investing in training, equipment, and the tools needed to start a business, we can help women build greater financial independence and create a more sustainable future for themselves and their families.

Our Vision Statement:

Socially and economically empowered women in the society

Our Mission Statement:

To be a leading organization empowering women and the girl child by teaching skills for Income Generating Activities (IGAs)

Our Goal:

Wa-Kesho, registered under the Ministry of Gender Sports and Social Services, is a community-based organization founded in 2006 as a self-help group to empower women (age 15 years and above) through a vocation program.

Our primary goal is to eradicate poverty cycles among the orphaned and vulnerable girls in the community, taking a proactive approach by teaching them life skills and basic business management through IGAs. These IGAs include producing:

• Coconut Oil Bar Soap

• Dresses

• Cakes

• Kikoi

• Virgin Coconut Oil

• Amaranth Flour

Our Achievements to Date:

Since the inception of the program, 1,000+ girls have successfully undergone training as dressmakers and have graduated, passing grade 3 exams administered by the Government of Kenya. This program has grown from the initial capacity of 12 orphans and 7 sewing machines to the current 30 orphans and 40 sewing machines. Seventy-five percent (75%) of these girls are now doing dressmaking as a livelihood.

Thank you for your support! We are grateful for, and humbled by, your continued generosity.

Warmest regards,

The Wa-Kesho Team