Winnie Ayieko is the Founder and Executive Director for Do it With Boldness Foundation (DWB). Do it With Boldness (DWB) Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental local organisation duly registered under the Societies Act (Cap 108) of the laws of Kenya in August 2018. The Foundation aims to create a haven for vulnerable children, girls and young mothers, one where they can discover themselves, develop leadership skills, resiliency, enhance their talents as well as gain financial independence through education, mentorship and entrepreneurship training.

She is an Independent Consultant with Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) and Bachelor degree in Counseling Psychology who works with vulnerable communities to develop affordable, innovative solutions that raise the quality of education for all through a mentorship approach. She advocates for women’s rights, sexual reproductive health (SRH), menstrual hygiene and gender equality. Winnie has devoted the past 5 years to mentor, train and empower young girls and women in marginalised communities.

Girls and women around the globe go through different forms of abuse including: sexual abuse, gender based violence, female genital mutilation and early/forced marriages, just to mention a few. Their conditions of living, vulnerability and lack of knowledge of their rights are contributing factors to the abuse. There has been a shocking increase in the number of sexual offences cases (GBV) over the past few years in the country due to COVID-19. 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.

In Kenya, 45% of women aged between 15 and 49 years have experienced either physical or sexual violence; One in five Kenyan women (21%) has experienced sexual violence; Most violence is perpetrated in familial relationships where the perpetrator is known to the victim;23% of Kenyan girls are married before their 18th birthday ,while 4% are married before their 15th birthday.When you add in customs like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM ) which is still at a sickening 21% of women aged between (15-49), ideas that women are to be seen not heard, and the disparity of importance placed on female and male education, calls for urgent attention to address the crisis.

“I believe that failure to address this issue entails a significant cost for the future.  Numerous studies have shown that children growing up with violence are more likely to become survivors themselves or perpetrators of violence in the future.Seeing our 200 mentees who are survivors of sexual abuse, child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation aged between 6 years to 17 years that the DWB Foundation supports through our program dubbed  ‘Girls ,not Brides‘ from the Maa Community smile is what melts my heart.Since 2019 April, we have grown with the girls and they have become the HEROES in OUR story.The organisation started with 50 girls through partnership with the Kenyan Girl and the community Anti FGM and Gender Based Violence Advocates ,  the program currently has 200 young girls who we have so far been trained on Lifeskills , leadership skills ,entrepreneurial skills such as bead making and mat making that  the girls are currently able to do during school holidays and commercialise to support the girls basic needs as well cover their tution fees.Through the foundation we provide individual counselling and group counselling sessions for the girls during holidays in order to achieve an all round functioning individual.As part of supporting the girls and ensuring that they are able to access food, we run our “Ujasiri Modern Garden” at the centre  which is able to supply kales and spinach atleast twice a week.I am motivated and believe in the words of  Malala Yousafzai and I quote,

“I raise up my voice-not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard…we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”

Through her leadership, the organisation has so far trained approximately 1500 girls and women within the informal settlements in Nairobi on Sexual Reproductive Health and Menstrual Health and Hygiene.The trainings became very vital among the young girls within the informal settlements as it was to meant to reduce the teenage pregnancy cases within the slums which were on the rise during this COVID-19 Pandemic as a result of schools being closed and lack of basic needs. Through the program “My period , my Pride” which focus on ensuring no girl is left behind in combating period stigma, the organisation partnered with Kenya Redcross and has so far provided sanitary towels to more than 1500 girls within the informal settlements an initiative championed by her.DWB has been a home for all of us where those with the passion to make a difference in the world have had the opportunity to leave a mark.The Foundation currently has 15 local volunteers and 7 international volunteers brought together by one goal; Making the world a better place.

“Community service gives me a valuable opportunity to walk into a different community that is less familiar to me but just as colorful and most importantly, in need.”

―Caroline Landry