A devastating rise in domestic violence, underage pregnancy, and early marriage - we heard about it all from international service organizations reporting the effects of the pandemic on girls all over the world. Unfortunately, our staff in Kenya saw it first-hand. With indomitable hope, Clemence Budala and Stephen Kabani brainstormed how to protect and empower the most vulnerable girls in 5-8th grades. They created a curriculum and training program called Hope Springs.

Hope Springs:

• empowers girls to speak up and to find help in abusive situations.

• provides incentives to stay in school and avoid early marriages.

• offers training to help girls become entrepreneurial, leading to self-reliance.

Kenya Keys recent college graduates – Winnie Seche, Mwanaisha Mlanda, and Caroline Jabu - run the after-school program for 240 local girls. Here are just four of the miraculous outcomes from this work.

“My silence made me fall in a dark pit, but Hope Spring came to lift me out of it” these strong words are from Sharlet, a sixteen-year-old girl selected to join the Hope Springs project after becoming pregnant. “I could not speak, and even defending myself was a problem. This led to the boys taking advantage of me. Through the Hope Spring, my courage and self-esteem were boosted and I used it to come to school even during the last trimester of my pregnancy. I did not care anymore; I knew I did a mistake and I learned from it. Plus, I had support from Hope Spring so my hell life in school turned to heaven. I am so happy and back in school. I stay with my baby in the evenings until morning where I leave her with my mother. Thank you, Kenya Keys, for your support, through the Hope Spring Project. May God bless you abundantly and may you continue rescuing other girls who cannot communicate, hence falling into a pit like me. Thank you very much.”

Rose, a girl from Fuleye Primary School, says “My self-esteem was very low because the uniform I wore was torn badly so I had to put on a sweater throughout the day even though it’s usually very hot... I lived a lonely life because I was despised and excluded by other students... Since Hope Spring came to our school and in my life, a lot has changed. It has transformed me into a girl whom each and every student wants to befriend. I am very clean because I got a new pair of school uniforms, I am provided with soap, which I use to wash my school uniform and other clothes, I am also provided with sanitary towels, therefore I don’t need to stay home during my menstruation days. I was also taught on menstruation hygiene under the topic; Reproductive Health. This has helped me and I can now take care of myself and even assist other girls who are in need. Thank you, Kenya Keys. I love you all!”

Mwaka was selected by the teachers to be President of the school, but when she refused to give her friends a pass on cleaning assignments, she was ostracized. She writes, “I lost hope, my performance dropped, I started to feel lonely, and even at one point, I started to think that life had no meaning. That is the time that it dawned on me that it is easy for one to commit suicide. One day, during the Hope Springs session, I started to see light at the end of the tunnel. From the discussion I was enlightened to put more effort into creating a conducive environment for myself and that I should believe and focus on the goal of doing the right thing. Believe me, it worked and I currently have made a new friend."

“Hope spring has done wonders to my life” these words are from a girl named Mariam who found herself in a dangerous situation far from home after a series of poor decisions. “That night, I thought to myself of what I did and what the Hope Spring facilitators have been teaching us, especially on self-control and self-awareness, and decided to change my ways." Too afraid to phone her parents, she called her Hope Springs mentor, Caroline, who arranged for her rescue. Mariam concludes, "I am now a transformed girl, even the friends who were misleading me are no longer my friends. I now have new friends who have helped me to improve my performance. Through Hope spring, I have also learned to help other people and I am so proud that my personality has changed a great deal. Even teachers are now congratulating me. My dream is to work hard and become a doctor. What I believe is through the fighting spirit instilled in me and the support that I now have in the Hope Spring family I will definitely make it. Thank you, Hope Spring, for transforming my life. You are now a family. Thank you, Kenya Keys”.

These girls will be forever changed by their experience with Hope Springs, due to the vision and caring of our wonderful Kenyan staff and facilitators, all of which is possible because of the generosity of many donors, particularly Iris Elton.

“Hope springs eternal in the human breast”, Alexander Pope wrote to a friend in 1732. Almost 300 years later, the difference this program has made in the lives of girls proves that the faith and hope that moves us to help one another can change the world and make miracles happen.