CRYING VOICE OF YOUNG

MOTHERS CHANGAMWE CBO

We give skills, build, transform and

empower

SEPTEMBER 2021
MISSION
To promote a community of socially, economically and politically empowered women united
and working towards a common cause of promoting equality and fighting systemic poverty.

VISION
We envision a world where women have non-discriminatory access to opportunities, resources
and necessary support to sustain and improve their lives.

BACKGROUND
For years, women, particularly those living in poverty have been excluded from decision making
even in matters that directly affect them. Their rights and needs have constantly been
deprioritized when governments are formulating development goals and projects. This has left
them more susceptible to systemic prejudice even leading to physical assaults from those
around them.
Since the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, abuse cases and general discrimination to women
escalated to levels never seen before. At workplaces, sexual harassment and exploitation has
been on the increase as seniors are taking advantage of these women’s extremity and the
tough economic conditions brought about by the pandemic.
Back at home, things have not been easy for them either, lack of basic needs such as clean
water, food and basic education for their children has caused unrests in their families, even
sparking up domestic violence where most have been left physically injured by their spouses,
some have lost their lives to these skirmishes while others have fallen victim to depression.
The pandemic has also given rise to a high number of underage mothers (women aged below
18 years). These teenage girls have no source of income to sustain themselves and their young
ones. Most of them have been forced to drop out of school and have taken odd, low-paying
jobs so as to provide for their young ones while others have been forced into early marriages so
as to ease the financial burden in their homes and to seek solace for their children.
In order to address these problems at the grassroots of our society, Young Mothers was
formed. Young Mothers consists of 1000 low-income earning women dwelling in the slum areas
of the vast Changamwe constituency. As a Community Based Organization (CBO), we believe
that through strategic partnerships, relevant support from the government and other willing
entities, we can build a strong economic foundation for these women through development of
income-generating projects and other relevant financial models that will help alleviate them
from poverty.
OBJECTIVES
1. Transformative Leadership and Governance by Women
We aim at developing a community where empowered women are taking leadership roles
thereby addressing gender discrimination in governance structures and promoting
transformative leadership.
2. Women Empowerment
In low income areas, women are experiencing widespread discrimination in almost all aspects
of life; in education, politics, at work and even in religious circles. This discrimination is further
entrapping them into poverty making their voices to be neglected even more.
Young Mothers aims at supporting women to have a voice in the society and be able to make
critical decisions affecting their lives. Our empowerment programs shall approach women
empowerment through different scopes and social levels. We shall offer individual, family and
community-based empowerment
2.1. Individual empowerment
We seek to provide emotional counselling and psychological support to victims of Gender-
based violence.
2.2. Community-based empowerment
We shall offer empowerment talks, seminars and trainings to empower women to build
confidence to stand up for their rights, participate in leadership roles and develop necessary
skills to steer them forward economically.
3. Economic Growth
This objective aims at promoting the Member Women to become a dynamic, self-sustaining
and economically independent lot with several income generating businesses and assets. We
plan on achieving this through the following strategies;
i. Promoting Financial literacy
ii. Mama Fund
iii. Mama Savings Acc.
iv. Business loans and grants to members
v. Marketing
3.1. Promoting financial literacy/education
With little or no education at all, women hailing from slum areas are often in the dark when it
comes to handling of funds in terms of investing, earning more and saving. However, with the
little financial education they have, these women are doing wonders in stretching the little that
they get to feed their families, educate their children and invest (though investing comes as the
last option in this case since they never have surplus)
Young Mothers shall conduct regular special training sessions where key leaders in the financial
world will deliver their expertise, insights and advise to these women. This shall enable them
learn more ways of generating income, appropriate saving strategies and sound investing.
3.2. Mama Fund
The Mama Fund shall contain cash reserves from donations, grants and capital raised by the
Young Mothers members. At pre-determined intervals, the fund shall release capital to the
Young Mothers sub-groups where they’ll use the money to start businesses (voted for by the
members, assessed by our team of financial experts and approved by the financial committee.
The Mama Fund shall have a small percentage stake in these businesses (less than 20%) which
will enable the fund to raise more capital and help to jumpstart other businesses by other sub-
groups.
3.3. Mama Savings Acc.
Young Mothers shall set up a savings account where the member women can deposit their daily
savings of as little as kes20/- per day. Cash reserves in this savings account shall be lent out to
credit worthy members who wish to take business loans.
50% of the interest earned shall be channeled to the Mama Fund to help run the organization’s
activities whereas the other 50% shall be distributed equitably among the depositors.
3.4. Business loans
To steer women’s businesses forward, we shall offer business loans to credit-worthy members
who wish to borrow funds to expand their businesses. These loans shall be paid back within the
agreed time and agreed interest rates.
3.5. Marketing
Local businesses owned by women face scalability issues since they lack visibility and proper
branding. Through strategic partnerships with local media agencies and utilization of available
social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, Young Mothers shall help member
women build consistent, powerful and well-known brands.
4. Alleviate women from Poverty
Deplorable living conditions, lack of indispensables of life such as food and decent clothing are
common characteristics of the everyday life of people living in low-income areas. As Young
Mothers, we aim at salvaging at least 20 families from poverty in each year that we’ll be in
operation. Through proper coordination and relevant support, we believe this is achievable. To
aid us in this quest, we shall rely on the following;
 i. Family Planning
ii. Education
iii. Jobs& income generating projects

4.1. Family planning

Lack of family planning is perhaps one of the primary factors that is entrapping many families in
abject poverty. With up to eight children in a family, it gets hard to provide for all of them
adequately in terms of food, clothing and quality education.
Young mothers shall invest heavily in sensitization and creating awareness of the benefits of
family planning as well as work hand to hand with the government and other interested bodies
to deliver the necessary family planning methods to the grassroots level.
4.2. Education
Education is the key that unlocks doors to infinite opportunities. However, not all have the
privilege of accessing quality education, especially the poor. Even with the introduction of free
education, some parents still can’t manage to take their children to school due to lack of school
necessities such as stationery and school uniforms. In the end, these children miss out on the
opportunity of securing professional careers in the future like their well-educated counterparts
from affluent backgrounds. They end up settling for any low paying job so as to provide for their
families thereby falling victim to the systemic poverty that their parents couldn’t escape.
Young Mothers intends to promote education on all levels; both adult education and education
for the young.
In our Adult Education Program, we shall provide specialized skill-building training in areas such
as artwork, embroidery, hair dressing etc. These skills will enable them secure spots in the job
market or even enable them start their own businesses based on the skills gained.
The Young Education Program shall provide the necessary educational support to learners from
needy backgrounds. We shall be open to sponsorships, donations and educational grants from
individuals, religious organizations, NGOs and companies. The collected donations shall be
pooled and equitably distributed and disbursed to the shortlisted learners.