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Young Mothers and Women's Empowerment Programme
Vocational tailoring, small enterprise, mentorship and sustainable agriculture with resilient women's groups in Mathare and Kangundo.
Working alongside the Young Mothers Women Group in Mathare, Nairobi and rural women farmers in Kangundo to build practical trade skills, financial independence and a permanent Women Empowerment Centre.
About the Young Mothers Women Empowerment Programme
To empower vulnerable women, young mothers and rural women farmers through practical vocational skills, sustainable livelihoods, cooperative savings and community leadership.
The Young Mothers Women Group was founded in 2025 in Mathare, Nairobi by a circle of resilient women, mainly young mothers, women who experienced early marriage, and mothers raising their children on their own. Facing high unemployment and the daily struggle of providing food, clothing and school needs for their families, they came together in unity to learn practical vocational skills, starting with tailoring, as a pathway to financial independence.
Today, the group operates from a rented workshop in Mathare where members train one another in dressmaking and tailoring, sew school uniforms and reusable sanitary pads, run a group savings circle, and look out for vulnerable children in the neighbourhood. With support from Action for Better World Association, visiting volunteers and development partners, the group is working to grow into a permanent Women Empowerment Centre serving more women and families across Mathare.
Alongside our urban vocational work in Mathare, ABWA also partners with rural women's groups in Kangundo, Machakos County on climate smart vegetable farming, water care, leadership conversations and household nutrition.
Programme vision
A self reliant community where women are empowered economically and socially to build better futures for themselves, their children and society.
Programme mission
To empower vulnerable women and young mothers through vocational training, entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, mentorship and lasting livelihood opportunities.
Current activities, achievements and challenges
What the women are doing today in the workshop, verified milestones achieved, and obstacles they are working to overcome.
Current activities in the Mathare workshop
- Tailoring and sewing everyday clothes for vulnerable children in the neighbourhood
- Producing school uniforms, dresses, shirts, tote bags and other garments for local families and schools
- Training young mothers and young women who had to leave school early in practical tailoring skills
- Making reusable sanitary pads and other useful products that support both community health and group income
- Supporting one another through group savings, financial literacy and mutual assistance
- Sharing vegetable farming, soil preparation and water conservation skills with our partner women's group in Kangundo
What the women have achieved so far
- More than 30 women in Mathare have completed practical tailoring training through the group
- Five sewing machines are currently in active use: three machines were generously donated by visiting volunteers from Hong Kong, and two additional machines were purchased by the women themselves through their own group savings
- Graduates of the training can now cut, sew and finish garments independently
- Locally sewn clothes and uniforms have been produced and shared with vulnerable children and schools in Mathare
- Members have built strong teamwork, mutual encouragement and growing confidence as craftswomen and mothers
Challenges the group is working to overcome
- Too few sewing machines, overlockers and training tools for the number of women waiting to learn
- A small, rented workshop space that limits how many trainees and orders the group can take on
- Inconsistent electricity supply and security concerns in the rented room
- Limited connections to wider garment and craft markets outside the immediate neighbourhood
- Everyday financial pressures at home that make it hard for some young mothers to attend training every day
What this programme sets out to do
Clear, participatory priorities established together with community partners and local groups.
Vocational and Entrepreneurial Skills: Equip young mothers and vulnerable women with practical tailoring, beauty, farming and business skills.
Economic Independence: Support women to earn steady income through garment production, small businesses and cooperative savings.
Permanent Women Empowerment Centre: Establish a dedicated, fully equipped vocational training and production centre in Mathare.
Children's Welfare and Nutrition: Support the children of participating mothers and vulnerable neighbourhood children with meals, clothing, school uniforms and learning materials.
Mentorship and Psychosocial Support: Offer a safe circle for mentorship, emotional support, leadership growth and practical life skills.
Lasting Partnerships: Connect grassroots women's groups with local and international partners who share their commitment to community led change.
Future plans and our five year roadmap
The Young Mothers Women Empowerment Programme is more than a tailoring workshop. It is a long term initiative to restore hope, build dignity and establish a self sustaining Women Empowerment Centre in Mathare.
Five Future Focus Areas
Expanded Vocational Training
Grow tailoring and fashion design classes, and introduce hairdressing, beauty therapy and additional trade skills.
Enterprise and Garment Production Unit
Set up a dedicated garment production unit alongside business mentorship, savings groups and financial literacy training so women can launch their own small enterprises.
Children's Feeding and Care
Establish a regular children's feeding programme providing breakfast and lunch so young mothers can train knowing their children are fed, clothed and supported for school.
A Permanent Training Centre
Move from a small rented room into a permanent, secure workshop with reliable space for classes, garment production and business activities.
Mentorship and Family Wellbeing
Strengthen peer mentorship, psychosocial care and women's leadership across the neighbourhood.
Five Year Implementation Timeline
Strengthening the Foundation
Strengthen existing tailoring classes, acquire additional sewing machines and fabrics, and expand training for young mothers.
Establishing the Permanent Centre
Set up the permanent Women Empowerment Centre, introduce hairdressing and beauty therapy training, and expand garment production.
Financial Self Reliance
Grow the centre's tailoring, garment and beauty services into sustainable social enterprises that help fund ongoing community training.
Moments from our Young Mothers and Women's Empowerment Programme work
Everyday moments of learning, collaboration and community life shared with dignity and consent.
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What we hope to achieve
These intended outcomes reflect our goals and working commitments. In keeping with our accountability principles, we do not present future aims as verified past metrics.
Keeping women and children safe
Women and children participating in this programme share their stories and images only with informed consent. We maintain strict safeguarding policies to protect the dignity and privacy of every family.
Umisiiyu Women Group — Kibwezi Community Project
Vegetable farming and kitchen gardens with a women's group in Kibwezi, Makueni County.
View connected projectOur Impact & M&E Framework
Learn how ABWA plans projects, conducts monitoring and evaluation, and ensures community handover.
Read our impact frameworkWays to support the Young Mothers group
ABWA invites organisations, businesses, volunteers and well wishers to walk alongside the Young Mothers Women Group through practical support:
We believe that when women are supported to earn, lead and stand together, whole families grow stronger, children's futures brighten and communities thrive.
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Support the women's empowerment centre in Mathare
Whether you would like to contribute sewing equipment, partner with us on the permanent training centre, or volunteer as a skills trainer, we would love to talk with you.