The Month That Was With World Pulse In Kenya

On May 1st I received a call from Leah Okeyo the World Pulse Leader in Kenya that I am among the World Pulse Members who will be convening for a three day workshop in Nairobi. Having joined World Pulse recently I was excited to meet the wonderful women who are community champions in their own right, most of whom I had just read there stories online on the World Pulse Platform. On 3rd May I packed my bags to start a 430 kilometer journey from my home to Nairobi, Kenyas capital, arriving at the wee hours of morning I hardly I slept but looking forward to the breakfast meeting. At the breakfast table my hope was not dashed as every woman I met and was introduced to was a trail blazer any young woman like me would admire. Phionah Musumba who bit all odds to stay a float is composed loving and receptive, Leah Okeyo bubbly and warm, Gladys Muthara intelligent and collected Leila Ludie polite and thoughtful, Teresia Kagecha full of advice, Lucia Buyanza and Betty Okere who were so inspirational and how could I forget Smeeta Hirani the World Pulse Global Impact Director !! At the breakfast table and other sessions as we interacted no one would have noticed we had just met!! These women had connected like real sisters sharing experiences, challenges and successes; offering encouragement and solutions to each other issues. Even to an extent of connecting a young girl Nancy to a job she can work while studying!!! After our breakfast we boarded our taxi and left for The African Centre For Women Information and Communication Technology ( ACWICT ) offices in Kileleshwa here we had a meeting with the ACWICT team including the Executive Director Constantine Obuya, Anne Karimi and three other staff Members, including Alice, George and also Suraj Shah the Intel Program manager in Africa. We got to know what ACWICT and Intel is doing collaboratively especially empowering young women and men; and the door of opportunities the organizations have opened across the country, in matters employment and ICT learning. I understood that ICT can be utilized as an enabling tool to economic empowerment for women and the World Pulse Intel she will connect Program currently running in Kenya. Smeeta Hirani introduced World Pulse and the World Pulse mantra “I speak for myself no one speaks for me’” what impact it’s having in developing and strengthening women’s voices around the World; for more information check out their website www.acwict.org , www.intel.com and www.worldpulse.com Later in the afternoon we met young girls ages 18-25 who shared their passion, stories and how the ACWICT and Intel Programs have enriched their lives. I was especially touched by the story of Nancy who despite leaving in a slum is studying in University regardless of her challenges she goes out of her way to provide for his brothers and offers her mother help in fending for their family. It was a busy and eventful three days this was concluded by a two day visit at the Intel Headquarters where we met other Intel Partners who are implementing the Internet Learning Easy Steps (ILES) program and further discussed how the World Pulse Content can be incorporated in their trainings. It was concluded that whenever Intel partners are having training a World Pulse mentor should co-facilitate the training to increase the presence and impact of World Pulse. These cant go untold; during the World Pulse meeting in Kenya we met Amira Dhalla of Mozilla Foundation who invited us to a training at Pride in Hotel Westlands on , we met the UN Empower Women team, Akili dada, Digital Opportunity Trust and other women change makers; together we were on the Mozilla Web literacy Leaders Training. And here the issues affecting Kenya women were discussed including, gender discrimination, gender based violence, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Female Genital Mutilation, Women Leadership among others. At this training Women were encouraged to create spaces and fight for their rights and speak up for themselves and affirming their actions. Kindly follow these links for more information. http://bit.ly/1T8us6a http://bit.ly/1s9GRhN More Videos and photos can be found on the World Pulse Sub-Saharan Africa Page, WETEC Group Page on Facebook and Flicker, for a report and photos follow this links; https://thimbleprojects.org/amira/66191/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/amirad/albums/72157666127395174 As a grassroots leader, I now strongly believe in Women Supporting Women/Sisterhood, and the power of networking in the social media. This means that women can connect on a professional level, but also at a personal level. This is all courtesy of World Pulse; I applaud the World Pulse Team for offering us such a Platform!!