Mercy Musila Musikali grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, like so many girls in her community: shy, lacking confidence and feeling limited by the social expectations of what women can be or do. But then she discovered boxing, and an entire world opened up to her. Today, Mercy is a coach and mentor for adolescent girls …
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“Our food is in the forest. Our medicine is in the forest. The forest takes care of us, and we protect it. The forest is our home.” Wilson Memusi, an elder of the Ogiek community in the Rift valley of Kenya, is describing his community’s deep connection to the Mau Forest—the land his ancestors have …
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When COVID-19, AJWS realized right away that the moment called for a largescale pandemic response strategy. We pivoted and it paid dividends: all 502 of our grantees remained operational over the last two turbulent years. It is now clear that this pivot not only helped during a moment of crisis but remains crucial in supporting …
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In Kenya, seven women die every single day from complications related to unsafe abortions — conducted at home or in backstreet clinics, often using dangerous methods like knitting needles or bleach. This astounding figure, far higher than the global average, is directly correlated to a simple fact: while abortion is a constitutional right in Kenya …
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Photos courtesy of EMAC Empowering Marginalized Communities (EMAC), an AJWS grantee partner in Kenya, has two major goals supporting their local network of LGBTQI+ organizations and fighting against anti-LGBTQI+ stigma in their communities. Amazingly, they found a way to meet both in the most unlikely place: a chicken coop. EMAC supports grassroots groups of LGBTQI+ …
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