OUR STORY
Why Zawadi exists
The idea behind Zawadi began taking shape approximately seven years ago. Several years later, during a visit to Kenya, it became deeply personal through the story of a teenage girl.
Zawadi does not define girls by poverty, HIV, orphanhood or other circumstances. We focus on a girl’s potential and the barriers standing between where she is today and where she can go.
ZAINABU
The girl behind the idea
Her name has been changed to protect her privacy.
Zainabu was about 16. She was bright and full of potential, but had experienced significant hardship and instability. Her mother had been living with HIV. Her father was estranged. She became orphaned and eventually found safety in a home caring for orphaned children.
The founder’s mother, together with other women in her community’s women’s guild, helped provide housing and care for orphaned children. Their work showed something fundamental: a safe home matters enormously.
THE QUESTION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
She had found a safe place to live. But what would prepare her for the life ahead?
Who would teach her about her health? Who would help her understand HIV without fear or stigma? Who would teach her how to protect herself? Who would help her understand menstruation and dignity? Who would provide mentorship, help her discover her strengths, and introduce her to careers, technology and opportunities? Who would help prepare her for adulthood and independence?
Those questions helped shape Zawadi Girls.
Who is a Zawadi Girl?
A girl from an underserved or economically vulnerable community whose circumstances may limit her access to health education, menstrual dignity, educational support, mentorship or future opportunities. She may be orphaned, live with or be affected by HIV, experience period poverty, be at risk of leaving school, or lack exposure to mentors, technology and careers.
She does not have to experience all of these. She is never defined by them.
Mission
Zawadi Girls equips girls from underserved communities with the knowledge, resources, relationships and opportunities they need to overcome barriers, thrive in school, protect their health and build independent futures.
Vision
A future where every girl, regardless of poverty, HIV, family circumstance or geography, has the knowledge, support and opportunity to shape her own future.
Our values
Dignity · Opportunity · Knowledge · Community · Accountability
Safeguarding philosophy
Protecting girls’ safety, privacy and dignity is foundational to everything we do. Zawadi does not currently operate a children’s home.
“Her circumstances may shape where she starts. They should never determine where she finishes.”
Njeri Ngaruiya, Founder, Zawadi Girls