Josephine’s BIG DREAMS for Young Girls
Josephine Nashetu Lekupe Has BIG DREAMS for Young Girls In Kenya
Girls and young women account for 74 percent of new HIV infections among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. For this reason, we are committed to DREAMS. DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) is an ambitious public-private partnership that aims to reduce rates of HIV among adolescent girls and young women in the highest HIV burden countries, including Zambia and Kenya, where we work.
In Kenya, in addition to training teachers in gender- equitable instructions, girls from Nairobi’s sprawling slums are matched up with student mentors from the university of Nairobi.
Earlier this year, we highlighted some of the inspiring stories of the girls enrolled in DREAMS. In their personal stories one thing emerged that was common- the importance and positive impact of their mentors. One of the most important resources of our DREAMS program are the dedicated and inspiring mentors that support the participants.
These are the young women and men – many who are members of the communities they serve – who dedicate a part of their lives to supporting and inspiring change in adolescent girls and young women. These mentors offer the girls someone they can talk to and ask questions of – ultimately, someone they can look up to.
Today, we would like to recognize one of these mentors, Josephine Nashetu Lekupe. Read on to find out how she became a mentor and her reflections on the experience so far.
Meet Josephine Nashetu Lekupe
“Time is Now, Press for Progress.” – slogan from the 2018 International Women’s Day campaign. This photo is a part of a series celebrating DREAMS mentors in Kenya, in recognition of International Women’s day.
My name is Josephine Nashetu Lekupe. I am at the University of Nairobi working toward a bachelor’s degree in early years education. I am 20 years old.
I come from a small town in northern Kenya. There are seven of us altogether in my family. I grew up in a pastoral home where education for girls is almost unheard of and female genital mutilation was mandatory, up until now.
Adolescence for me was a time of self-discovery. I was not in a place where I could talk to my mom to understand how to deal with this new challenging stage. So I just went through it alone. It was scary.
My passion has always been to one day impact people’s lives positively by being a bridge between their dreams and their reality. DREAMS is an opportunity for me to finally start my journey of changing lives. I feel like I have been given the knowledge and a platform to impact lives in a positive way. I want to support these young girls so that they achieve their full potential in life and never feel as alone as I did growing up. The girls I work with are young, energetic, and full of hope for what life has to offer them despite their background.
These girls have so much to deal with. I remember one girl telling me that she has to work really hard to get her homework done at school, in class and during breaks, because when she gets home she becomes the carer for her younger siblings. Her mother has no choice but to work day and night to meet her children’s needs because the father abandoned the family. As the eldest, there was no choice. She had to help her mother.
I dream of bringing up a generation of girls who are Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe.
I dream of a community where both sexes have equal opportunities.
I dream of a community where education for girls is guaranteed. This matters to me most because I strongly believe that in the end, the community will have been impacted positively.
Our DREAMS Partners in Kenya:
