New World Possible for 10,000 Ndia Women, kenya

Dear Friends, Colleagues and supporters,
Good evening or evening. We take this opportunity to appreciate you all for the support you have accorded us through global giving in the Forthcoming walk entitled New World Possible for 10,000 Ndia Women, Kenya (21004) this October. We are planning that on the 10th Day of the 10th Month of 2015, to bring together 3, 000 women and men to walk for 10 Kilometers in the morning hours of Saturday, and thereafter raise funds to a tune of 10, 000 US dollars, which is aimed at reaching 10,000 women in Ndia Constituency, Kirinyaga County Kenya. The theme of the March is “Poverty is in our Minds, Wealth is in our Hands for Another World is Possible for Kenyan Women and Kenya." The aim of the Walk/March is to create awareness about the ills of bad governance and its effects on women and girls.

The Money raised will go into enhancing the socioeconomic activities that members of Ndia Women Empowerment Network popularly known as Jiinue( a Kiswahili word that means self-uplifting) are currently engaged in. Under the motivation and mentoring of their Patron, Dr. Grace Wamue-Ngare, these women came together after a realization that only they can change the apathy of a poverty mentality, which they attribute to the reason they sell their votes during campaigns. By internalizing that they are "poor" these women develop a low self esteem and have no morale to even try.

As witnessed in the last general elections in Kenya, a practice that is chronic with elections, majority of these women simply lined up by the roadsides and waited for political aspirants to give them handouts of less than 1 dollar per woman, an exercise some of them have done for as long as they can remember. By so doing, these women (who are the majority voters) not only sell their vote, but also embark on a very futile and dehumanizing exercise. Ironically they feel helpless about the action and are actually bitter. Yet, this has been the trend day in day out during all elections. Without realizing that the little they get from the politicians cannot deliver them from that situation, they unfortunately fail to recognize the power of their vote and the same poverty they are trying to get rid of.

HFAW and Jiinue together with the respective Founders/Patrons Drs. Grace Mose-Okong’o and Dr. Grace Wamue-Ngare embarked on a rigorous campaign to educate Kenyan women about their rights and especially the power of their Vote. Our aim is to empower these women to think critically and elect leaders on merit. The strategy is to help women embark on numerous socioeconomic activities, which they fund through Table Banking. These women are grouped into twenties and meet every month, do some contributions and borrowing from the other members (pull together) and hence enhance their business or farming.

The forthcoming walk on 10/10/2015 is the First among a series of many others that will culminate in the grand Walk of a proposed 50,000 women in 2017, just before the national elections. We are hoping that this walks and the Fundraiser thereafter will realize a substantive amount that would go a long way in boosting the Table banking activity. Not only will more women borrow the money but they would also take bigger loans. By so doing, these women would not only be empowered politically, socially and economically but they would also be so busy by 2017 to line up all day waiting for political handouts. That way, they would elect the leaders on merit.

As we appreciate you for your support, as the women are so pleased to have their t-shirts and banners will go up this week. We continue to invite you to be part of this change. By supporting a woman change her mind set, you have saved a vote, a family, a village a nation. We anticipate a changed Kenya in less than 10 years. This is our dream. Please be part of this dream. Tell all your friends and family
With much gratitude from
Grace Mose-Okong’o and Grace Wamue-Ngare