Gihon NGO

Gihon was founded in July, 2015 by Agnes Gitonga and Lucy Wanjin, after identifying the poverty level wich is the main cause of gender based violence, GBV. With a dream of a better life for the women of Kitengela, Kenya, the two women set out to create a one-year annual empowerment program that could accomplish just that. Gihon is a non-governmental organisation wich is based on gender equality, aimed to empower women trough both formal lessons and practical skills. By taking part in our program, the women experience a new chapter in life, all for no charge. To reduce the GBV cases, we chose to rely on the women. The women are left to take care of the home and the children for themselves, with no shoulder to lean on in difficult times. The program operates during weekdays from 10am to 3pm, allowing the women to get their kids ready for school in the morning, and gives them time to cook, clean and help with homework before it gets dark. Our program runs for one year, following four, three-month block classes: orientation and counselling, beading/jewelry, tailoring, and women's empowerment, health classes and parenting. We have professional teachers, and also work with our volunteers from all across the world. They teach classes, council, and play with the women's children, allowing them to concentrate on their lessons. Gihon also seeks to raise Kitengela's next generation to respect and uplift women, helping them to reach their strong and full potentials. To do this, Gihon's founders travel twice a month to the three schools in the area to provide school supplies, and most importantly, lessons on gender-equality, and for the young girls, female health classes. The school program is the largest, but one of many projects that Gihon partakes in running in the hope of making their dream for an equality driven Kitengela, Kenya. As a NGO non-profit, we survive and thrive off the generosity of our volunteers and donors. If our story has inspired you to take action