Who We Are
Mvaha Wa Chiche (My Little Sister) is an East African initiative, committed to raising the next generation of women leaders in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) from underserved marginalized coastal communities.
Our efforts begin in the humble villages of Kilifi, a beautiful coastal county, where girls encounter multiple barriers to education, especially technical education. Indigenous Kilifi girls face economic, societal, social and political marginalization preventing them from accessing and thriving in STEM education.
Out of the above, Mvaha Wa Chiche was born. Mvaha Wa Chiche dismantles barriers and equips Kilifi girls with the necessary technical and non-technical tools needed to reshape the African continent - just like one would do for their younger sister.
Economic Barriers
Poverty forces our girls to drop out of school and support their families through child labour, forced marriages and illegal activities such as prostitution and drug-pushing for money. This in turn increases the rate of HIV/AIDS infection and teenage pregnancy among our girls.
Societal Barriers
Societal ideologies coupled with economic barriers, demotivates and pushes out our girls from pursuing STEM fields such as engineering, mathematics, science and computing. Hence a lack of women voices in Africa's leading technical innovation.
Gender Barriers
Gender-based violence, rape, and aggressive sexual predators drive our girls into physical, emotional and mental trauma, leading to lost hope. Furthermore, the lack of awareness about gender issues is a major concern.
Socio-Political Barriers
The persistent marginalization of coastal communities, lack of jobs and resources has created economic barriers that affect our girls' families. These communities are highly underserved and neglected, especially when it comes to STEM education and women's health care.