Huawei Technologies Partners With UNFPA and Safaricom To Host A Mentorship Session For A Section Of Samburu Girls Foundation Beneficiaries

Huawei Technologies in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Safaricom have today hosted a mentorship session at the Norfolk Hotel for 15 young students from the Samburu Girls’ Foundation in Samburu County.

The session themed ‘Celebrating the past, planning for the future’ was aimed at providing a platform for the girls to share their stories about the journey and how they suffered FGM and early marriages before being rescued by the Samburu Girls Foundation.

Speaking at the session, The Foundation Head of Communications Jeremiah Kipainoi lauded its partners for their role in transforming the lives of the girls in the community.

“The livelihoods of the girls at Samburu Girls Foundation has been transformed since partners such as Huawei, UNFPA and Safaricom came on board. Through their support, the girls have become empowered through education and have a place where they safeto call home that is safe far away from some cultural practices such as FGM. This has not only transformed lives of the girls but also of the communities around who now know that girls can be more”, said Mr Kipainoi.

Samburu Girls’ Foundation was founded by Dr. Josephine Kulea, HSC, whose passion was drawn from being from a pastoralist community and observing practices such as FGM, beading (to mark them for sexual engagement from an early age) and child marriage where the girls are married off from as early as 11 years.

Through the foundation, the girls are given a safe place to stay and receive psychological support through counselling.

Through partnerships with organizations such as the United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA), Huawei Technologies and Safaricom, the Samburu Girls Foundation has not only rescued thousands of girls, but has also created an environment for them to receive education from the primary to the tertiary level.

Huawei’s Head of Public Affairs Adam Lane, while speaking at the event highlighted the importance of technology in increasing access to relevant resources and information.

“Together with UNFPA and Safaricom we have managed to donate Matebooks, laptops and an internet router over the years, as part of our contribution towards ensuring that the girls have access to education and other information such as college opportunities. We provided this because we are aware that we are living in an age that technology cannot be ignored”, said Mr. Lane.

Female members of staff from both Huawei Technologies and Safaricom Limited had a session where they mentored the girls on how to further their studies and future careers. Also highlighted was the need for more girls to pursue more Science and Mathematics subjects that for a long time were viewed as only for men.

This was the beneficiaries’ first ever trip to Nairobi as sponsored by Huawei Technologies. Yesterday, Huawei Technologies arranged for the first round of mentorship sessions for the girls as they seek to transition from high school to university or colleges. They also met with lecturers from Zetech University and various women from Huawei Technologies.

Huawei Technologies is keen on youth mentorship as it is a key aspect to personal development as it provides a platform to learn from others, but to also have people or figures who they can aspire to emulate. It also provides the youth with an up-close opportunity to ask and learn on a very inter-personal level.

Samburu Girls Foundation was started in 2011, and has over the years succeeded in to rescuing over 1,000 girls from Samburu, Isiolo, Laikipia and Marsabit counties.