Young women empowered through Career Connections!
Kibera, Kenya | Our Girls Empowerment program had an amazing opportunity today with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KMRI) of Nairobi for a tour of their facility and time for Q&A with the researchers about their jobs and what it took to reach that position.
The Angaza Project is grateful to Fay Sejo of La Femme Coaching of Nairobi for her help in obtaining this opportunity from some of her close friends and contacts at KEMRI as well as thankful to the Administrators (Marsha) of KEMRI for welcoming our program to their facility! Their partnership in helping our young women connect to careers early on is important. "I really learned a lot from the women who do the research and I liked seeing them on the job," says Fidelite. Her father George said "Fidelite is getting to see women in important positions in the community and it is important. It will expand her thinking and motivate her to stay focused in school in order to do something like that one day."
Today's 'Career Connections' field trip is something we want to continue to do in the future and we will focus on different careers over time. "We hope that the girls will feel more engaged in school when they are able to see the connection between their studies and real-world applications," says Jennifer Wiley, President and Founder of The Angaza Project. On today's tour, the Administrators and Researchers shared with the girls that their studies in English and the Sciences are extremely important noting they must stay focused and work hard for high marks in those areas. The KEMRI does research for vaccinations and medicines as well as identifying health problems and solutions to those problems for their communities. Currently, they are looking at mosquitoes and hepatitis in active labs.
Along with the Girls Empowerment girls, our Teacher Michelle and friend to the organization, Jane, served as chaperones. Michelle says, "We learned that rats take 19-21 days to reproduce and the work being done here with vaccinations and medicines is making a difference in our country. The girls being able to do this is very motivating for them, they get to see that hard work really does pays off in their studies. Even better is that they are seeing women in these important positions."
Marsha (left) with Michelle (right). The Angaza Project thanks KEMRI and Marsha for the opportunity to make Career Connections today in our Girls Empowerment class! We also thank La Femme Coaching of Nairobi!