Ecologia

Supporting Disadvantaged Youth

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Enabling disadvantaged young people to realise their potential

  • About Us
    • Our Approach
    • Our People
    • Where We Work
    • Our Supporters
    • Our Case For Your Support
    • Our Publications
    • Our Impact
    • Join Our Team
  • Growing2gether
    • Growing2gether – What We Do
    • Growing2gether – Research and Evaluations
    • Donate to Growing2gether
  • International Projects
    • Russia – Kitezh and Orion Children’s Communities
    • Uganda – Sky Is The Limit Children’s Centre
    • Kenya – International Peace Initiatives
    • Kenya – Tarnos School
    • Our Past Successes
  • Support Us
    • Corporate Partnership
    • Give As You Shop
    • Leave a Legacy
    • Payroll Giving
    • Visit Our Shop
    • Donate
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer Overseas
    • Become an Ambassador
    • Sponsor a Child
      • Sponsor a Child in Russia
      • Sponsor a Child in Kenya
      • Sponsor a Child in Uganda
      • What it Means to Sponsor a Child With Us
    • School & Youth Groups
    • Events Calendar
    • Fundraise For Us
  • News
  • Contact
  • Donate
You are here: Home / International Projects / Kenya – International Peace Initiatives / Skills Trainings for Vulnerable Meru Mothers

Skills Trainings for Vulnerable Meru Mothers

Skills trainings: Weaving training

Supporting vulnerable mothers to provide a better future for their families through skills trainings

International Peace Initiatives (IPI) helps vulnerable mothers, especially those suffering from the effects of HIV/AIDS, to provide a better future for their families by training them in new skills so that they can earn an income, slowly regain their strength, and be better able to care for their children. Most of the women we support would not usually be able to access these courses because they are often too expensive or located too far away.

What is the problem?

In Kenya, one in five girls between 15 and 19 are mothers. They tend to be from families who struggle with poverty, disease and they are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. In Meru alone, 21% of the population have no formal education. We have seen that when girls become mothers, the vast majority drop out of school. They can face rejection from the father of their child, their families and community. Many become homeless, with no chance of securing a decent job they are forced into commercial sex work to survive and provide for their children.

Meet Kellen

Kellen is a mother of one child and was working as a commercial sex worker. In 2016 she was offered a place on a Ecologia funded, hairdressing diploma. The course, run by International Peace Initiatives, gives women and girls in Meru County free access to skills training so that they can provide for themselves, their families and change their lives by having a secure and stable income.

Kellen excelled on the year-long course, she learned quickly and her work was of a really high quality. She was employed by a salon as soon as the course was finished and in less than a year she was able to start her own business at home. Now, 2 years on, her business is growing. She provides for her family and her daughter is enrolled at a local school. She is an incredible example of how gaining skills make a huge difference to the lives of whole families and future generations.

Already, since December 2012, Ecologia has raised over £50,000 to support IPI to develop skills trainings for women.

In 2015, 30 local women successfully completed the second of two years of skills trainings in tailoring, and 235 women completed a year of detergent and jewellery-making, tie-dye and weaving.

As well as this, Ecologia has funded skills trainings for women in knitting, catering and tie-dye as well as in cosmetic and cleaning agents, food making and processing, business support training and marketing and packaging. Currently 33 vulnerable young women are taking part in a year-long hairdressing and beauty training that will help them to support and care for their children – and as one young woman said: “Now I am Someone in my community!”

Ecologia is proud to sell some of the beautiful jewellery made by the women, in our online shop.

Skills trainings: Women with detergent made in their detergent workshop

Women with detergent made in their detergent workshop

Handmade jewellery gives women an income opportunity

Subscribe to our email news

Email signup

  • We will never share your email with anyone else.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Your personal information will not be given to third parties. Read our Privacy Policy to learn more.

Annual Summer Newsletter 2022

Latest Ecologia News

  • Annual Summer Newsletter 2022 2 August 2022

Latest Tweets

  • On International Day of Friendship we celebrate by looking back at all the friendships that have been built through… https://t.co/a1kTNgBFbl 1 August 2022 07:22
  • 🎫There is a very special event coming up! 🎫 On Sunday 26th June there will be a concert held at Universal Hall to… https://t.co/boiPamyB4R 8 June 2022 11:10
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Make a Donation

How We Spend Your Money!


Ecologia OSCR logo

© 1995–2022 Ecologia Youth Trust, all rights reserved. All images and stories may not be reproduced without expressed written permission.
Ecologia Youth Trust is a Scottish Charity No SC023976.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Statement
  • Child Protection Policy
  • Contact