“Imarisha Dada” is a special Initiative that focuses on offering solutions to the challenges that surround women. The event is a forum scheduled to take place on 18th & 19th December 2020 from 9am to 2pm at Alliance Française de Mombasa (Nyali). It will be characterized by creating awareness and sensitizing young girls on sexual reproductive health, provide a platform for promoting products of women, empower them with relevant information and also raise funds to purchase sanitary towels that will be donated to the less privileged girls. The event will also aim at unveiling the potential in women as they learn from one another as well as receive one on one mentorship sessions on different aspects of life. It will be a free entry event apart from specific charges for the people with products to be exhibited and/or sold during the event. Also, for the support of the initiative, partner organizations will be encouraged to exhibit and sell their products and direct the proceeds to the cause ahead i.e. the purchase of sanitary towels. A range of cultural performances & shows will be programmed the whole day, highlighting various female talents and offering to the public a festive & captivating atmosphere.

Women empowerment in Kenya and especially in the coastal region, has been hindered by traditional perceptions about the roles of women and girls in the society. This has greatly affected them in certain communities especially with regards to decision making, access to information, less access to education, land, awareness especially on their sexual orientation among others. These constraints have highly contributed to high poverty levels and eventually teenage pregnancies and early marriages. Due to the cycle of poverty that surrounds such girls, accessing sanitary towels also becomes a big challenge hence interfering with their normal school life and eventually their self-esteem thereby having a negative impact to the economy of this country.

In 2020, with the Covid-19, women have suffered a double pain according to the spike observed in teen pregnancies since the government closed schools in March in response to the coronavirus outbreak. This disproportionate and negative impact of the pandemic on women translates into an economic crisis, where women’s capacity of entrepreneurship is threatened, whereas as we know how much this portion of the population is considered as agents of change for social and economic transformation, as well as a role of prevention from violence against women and their protection in the face of the pandemic that has forced women and girls to stay close to their abusers.

1. Create a safe space for women who want to express their feelings, share their problems with their peers who have undergone the same experiences in life.

2. In terms of sexuality, the event purposes to raise awareness for girls about the use of contraceptives and sanitary towels.

3. Raise funds to purchase sanitary towels. The target amount of money is Ksh100,000 which is aimed at supporting girls from 6 different public/less privileged primary schools in Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi.

4. Mentorship for women: Mentors from different fields among them entrepreneurship, career development and art will be invited to mentor the girls and women in capitalizing their different skills and talents. Also connecting women with potential matters such as actors who would like to be considered in the film industry.

5. Showcasing their creativity: This event is also to allow people with different skills and talents to show the people their creative work . Hence this is will enable them to network effectively