Last February, AIDOS organized its first mission to Nairobi, Kenya, marking the start of the project Now Me! Nurturing Opportunities for Women in Kenya. It was a key field visit to bring together partner organizations, with the aim of building a shared vision and launching the initial activities.
An intense mission made up of several moments and meetings, from the official launch of the project with institutional stakeholders to visits to activities carried out by partner associations AMANI and Koinonia.
AIDOS contributed with its expertise by organizing training on the Gender Transformative Approach, aimed at the staff of project partners: two participatory workshops, co-facilitated for AIDOS by Cynthia Umurungi, an expert in the field, which opened a space for discussion on social norms, gender stereotypes, and power dynamics that affect the lives of women and girls. Not just theory, but a first concrete step toward building a shared language and integrating this approach into the activities. Because change does not only concern the people directly involved in projects, but society as a whole: it means questioning everyday practices, roles, and power relations.
“This training helped me find my voice and understand how I can contribute to change,” one of the participants shared.
“I believe there is a need for more meetings on gender equality that also involve us men as allies,” one participant said at the end of the training.
Mercy (pseudonym) reflects: ‘We live in a society where many social norms have been deeply rooted for generations. Here I learned that truly transforming these dynamics requires a more holistic approach, where the role of institutions and the community is central”.
The project – implemented by AMANI and Koinonia Community in collaboration with AIDOS, Storielibere and Comunità Nuova, and funded by AICS – has a clear objective: to strengthen the social and economic opportunities of women and young mothers in vulnerable conditions, with particular attention to those who live or have lived on the streets. The mission also included several key visits to gain a close understanding of the context and the work of the Kenyan partners. Among these were the Tabasamu la Mama center, dedicated to mothers living on the streets, and the Salama Center, a safe space that provides training and support to young women who have dropped out of school, many also due to early pregnancy.
The launch of ‘Now Me!’ represents an important step toward greater autonomy and participation of women in the communities involved. Through collaboration with local partners and the integration of a gender-transformative approach, the aim is to promote concrete change: not only to create more economic opportunities for women, but also to challenge the social norms that still limit their freedom and future.
Written by Ilaria Bertocchini