About Us
OUR VISION
A society that empowers women and girls, upholds and protects their fundamental rights and freedoms, and guarantees equal access to opportunities and resource development.
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CORE VALUES
Feminism
Care
Integrity
Teamwork
Trust
Diversity & Inclusion
OUR MISSION
To advance gender and social justice by preventing and mitigating rights violation and abuse for women and girls through equal access to opportunities and information.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Advocacy & Mentorship
Skill learning & Capacity Building
Support & Care Services
Linkage to Service Providers
Media Engagements.
The Hijabi Mentorship Program
The Hijabi Mentorship Program (THMP) is a young women-led registered Community-Based Organization founded in 2018. It champions development by addressing Gender Equality in Underserved communities by addressing Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Gender Based Violence (GBV), Peace and Conflict Resolution, and Economic Empowerment for women and girls in Kwale County. The organization empowers women and girls by creating conducive environments and availing of information and resources to ensure that they become positive and active drivers of change in their own lives.
THMP is one of the fastest-growing community-based organizations committed to advancing gender and social justice in coastal Kenya. It accomplishes its mission through the synergy that occurs by bringing together community members, stakeholders, and partners; collectively having a multiplier impact on our work. For the last four years, THMP has convened women across sectors, cultures, disciplines, and generations. Our members and partners are at the forefront, inspiring new thinking and shaping the greater good for our women and girls
THMP’s work is in line with three of the themes of the Generation Equality Action Coalition: GBV, Economic justice, rights, and Bodily autonomy, and SRHR. It is mainly guided by SDG1 (no poverty), SDG3 (good health and well-being), SDG4 (Quality Education), SDG5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG 16 (Peace and Justice Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnership for goals). In line with our objectives, our different projects are addressing the gaps in achieving gender equality, sustainable livelihoods, and good health, by enabling women and girls to have equal access to information and resources.
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Wali Rosemary
Board Member
Products & Services Manager forSanergy in Kenya With 6 years of experience, her expertise spans research, project management, as well as monitoring and evaluation of public health
Programs targeting BOP customers. She holds a Master’s degree in International Health from JKUAT, and a BSc. Biomedical Technology degree fromthe University of Nairobi.
Mr Mahmoud Noor
Board Member
ICT Consultant and Youth advisor, with experience spanning over 23 years.
Mahmoud founded Swahilipot Hub, a creative space in Mombasa for Techies and Artists.
Board of Management for the Salvation Army Likoni High School for the visually impaired.
Chairman of Management Committee of Serani Sports Ground
CSR Lead in Kenya for Seacom
Helen C. Odega
Board Member
Public Health Professional, and an advocate for Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH).
She is the Founder and Program Director of the Centre for Women’s Health and Adolescents Development (CWHAD)
Secretary-General of the State Family Planning Advocacy Working
Group.
Helen holds a Masters degree in Public Health (MPH) and a BSc. in Applied Biochemistry
Abdulghafur Anasi
Board Member
TV producer at Horizon TV-Kenya
He is also the former chairman of Youth Empowerment for Social and Economic Development(YESED KENYA) where he championed for theempowerment of young
people inKenya.
N'zani Kassim Zani
Board Member
Nimah N’zani Kassim Zani – Is a Communication Professional and a Gender Equality Champion. She is also a Mandela Washington Fellow 2019, a YALI RLC fellow, and an Acumen Fellow 2020.
She is the Founder of The Hijabi Mentorship Program. She also serves as the Senior Communications Coordinator at The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
Ali Rashid Mwachuo
Board Member
Founder Director and Executive Producer Aram Consultancy Limited
Founder Director and Executive Producer Radio Quran Kenya
Founder, former General Manager, andExecutive Producer Horizon TV Kenya
Formerly a programs producer and TV Director at Ebru Africa and KenyaTelevision Network- KTN
Milestones and Key Achievements
The Hijabi Mentorship Program has made significant strides in empowering women and girls across Kwale County and beyond. Some of our key milestones include:
1. Launch of the Gender Champions Training Academy:
Through the support of CREAW Kenya, we established the first Gender Champions Academy in Kwale County. This academy equipped 20 local young men and women with leadership skills and feminist principles, addressing the lack of exposure to gender equality and sustainable development knowledge in rural areas.
2. Groundbreaking Research on SRHR and GBV:
Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we conducted comprehensive research on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in underserved communities. The findings serve as a reference for other organizations working in the region and inform our own programs and initiatives.
3. Healthcare Support through Addis Clinic Partnership:
In collaboration with Addis Clinic, we empowered 38 medics with new technology, we have trained 22 health care providers, we have mentored 96 girls from underserved communities, we provide free health screening to over 2000 community members,over 6522 community members engaged, 4176 women and girls supported through mobile clinics and telemedicine. We also support five rescue centres, providing critical care services to vulnerable girls and women.
4. Advocacy for the Kwale County Sexual and Gender Violence Act 2023:
We played a crucial role in supporting the review and advocacy of the first Kwale County Sexual and Gender Violence Bill in 2018, contributing to legislative reforms in the fight against GBV. In December 2023, The Kwale SGBV Act 2023 was officially launched.
5. Support for UNSCR 1325 Action Plans:
We actively participated in the review and assessment of the Kenya National Action Plan (2020-2024) and Kwale County Action Plan (2022-2024) to advance the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security.
6. Formation of the Coast Women Rights Movement:
Alongside FIDA and 20 organizations from the Coast region, we co-founded the Coast Women Rights Movement. This collective works to tackle GBV, human rights issues, and economic empowerment across six coastal counties.
7. Nikumbuke Soccer League:
We introduced the first-ever soccer league for older women in the Matuga sub-county, supported by the US Embassy and Rutgers University. This initiative empowers 66 older women from three villages, using sports as a platform for gender equality. To incorporate community needs we have currently incorporated 66 young mothers to the Nikumbuke Soccer initiative making it a total of 132 beneficiaries.
8. Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms:
Through our projects, we have trained 40 local administrators, 40 police officers, 40 health workers and 40 journalists to ensure safe, confidential reporting of GBV and SRHR violations and better service delivery.
9. Community Awareness Programs:
Over the past six years, we have reached more than 250,000 community members through awareness programs on SRHR and GBV, significantly improving local understanding of these critical issues.
10. School Outreach Programs:
Our school initiatives have impacted 600 students, fostering early education on SRHR and GBV, and encouraging gender equality from a young age.