Hellen Waceke is More Than Enough
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, Hellen Waceke, shares what led her to become a mentor, how it has changed her life, and how she hopes to pass it on.
Meet Hellen Waceke
“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 Hellen Waceke and I am 21 years old. I come from a small town in Kenya where I grew up with my mother and three sisters. My dad was not around. Today, I live in Nairobi.
I started experiencing changes in my body early. I was only 11. For me it was an awkward situation because my older sisters weren’t around to offer any guidance. So I felt really alone and afraid. I had no idea what was happening and why. It was particularly embarrassing because I was an early bloomer. To add to it, I didn’t feel like I could talk to my mum about such things. Eventually, I found the courage to ask her. I wish I had done it sooner, because she was reassuring.
Becoming a mentor was a journey. A friend came to class one day and asked if anyone wanted to join a group interested in peer counseling. I remember listening and thinking, “why not?” We went for the training, and I passed the interview. I had never been so happy.
I call it a journey because I wasn’t an outgoing person before I started with DREAMS. I was always quiet and a bit reserved. But through all the interactions and activities, everything really started to change. It’s still a journey because I try every day to inspire and encourage at least one of the many teenagers in the schools I work with. What I do means a lot to me because I’ve been exposed to a lot of things, and I aspire and strive to be an example to these children.
I am enough and I can be who and what I want to be.
I can talk all day about the girls and women I work with, from the mentors to the mentored. I’ve made really good friends and we’ve really become family. Our bond has become stronger as each day passes, and these are the people I want by my side as we go to greater heights.
All this matters to me because every woman deserves to have a say and be successful.
There are so many people who inspire me. Like Grace and Sullivan. They are my heroes. I’ve never seen girls as passionate and confident as these two. They’ve been walking with me every step of the way, and I’ve become confident and self-appreciative in large part, thanks to them. They’ve become my sisters.
My dream for the girls in DREAMS is to see each of them become the very best version of themselves. I want to see them change their lives, their community, and also the world. They just need a push because they already have the fire in them. I am a beneficiary of mentorship, and I want other girls to have a platform to better themselves the same way I did.
All this matters to me because every woman deserves to have a say and be successful. After all those years as a woman hearing, “you’re not good enough,” “you’re not smart enough,” “you’re not pretty enough,” not this, not that, I just woke up one day and thought to myself: I am enough and I can be who and what I want to be.
Our DREAMS Partners in Kenya:
