SowHope

$25,000 Matching Gift Alert!

We are excited to announce a $25,000 matching gift for transformational development projects in Kenya. Your gift towards this special campaign will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000 through May 31st, 2024. Josephine, a SowHope partner since 2008, has impacted the lives of over 21,000 women, in addition to countless family members and neighboring communities, through her transformational development seminars. Using her unique approach, Josephine not only economically changes the lives of thousands of women, she brings peace among warring communities, teaches that every person has intrinsic value, and tackles harmful cultural issues. This matching gift will allow her projects to continue for two more years.
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Less than 25% of women in rural Kenya have completed high school.

History & Need
 
Kenya has the largest economy in East and Central Africa and is considered an “upper-middle income” country. However, there is high inequality in wealth distribution. Ten percent of Kenyans own 40% of its wealth and even though the economy continues to grow, the wealth gap does not shrink. This is especially pronounced in the rural areas.
Furthermore, women in Kenya face severe gender inequalities. Women may need spousal or fatherly consent before accessing healthcare, and they also may be forced to undergo abortions or female circumcision. They lack means to education, their financial services and property rights are limited, and they have little access to basic needs and legal rights to start businesses or live self-sufficiently. Millions struggle to afford even one meal a day, leading to malnutrition, disparity, and adverse health conditions.
Josephine is doing her part to close the wealth gap and advocate for women’s equality throughout the rural areas of Kenya. Because of her great impact, she even received a special waiver from the Kenyan government to cross regional lines during the COVID pandemic to conduct her projects. Josephine visits communities around the country, listen to the needs of the people, and conduct a 3-day seminar, even under threat of violence.
Josephine has impacted over 21,000 women

23% of women in Kenya had forced marriages before age 18.

Women taking part in the table banking training
The average income of the women who attend the seminars is less than $0.30/day. The entire community, including the men and neighboring villages, participate and share their needs. When Josephine teaches the value of every person, she then helps the group come to a consensus on the biggest issues and how to solve them. She helps form groups, trains courageous leaders, and gives seed money to create microfinance funds that are shared between each group (called merry-go-round style).
Josephine’s dynamic leadership has led to the end of deadly conflict among neighboring tribes, and each leadership group is taught to form additional groups in other areas so that the projects can spread. Her seminars have also stopped practices such as female genital mutilation and early marriage and have been the impetus for women’s rights legislation in Kenya.

45% of women in Kenya aged 15-49 report experiencing physical or sexual violence.

Call To Action

With your help, SowHope aims to impact 1,000 women, and thousands of others, over the next two years through transformational development projects in Kenya. Together we can support Josephine’s tireless efforts to uplift communities that would otherwise never be given hope. Each woman in these projects represents a life that is drastically changed.
Please consider giving a financial gift or making a qualified
charitable distribution toward the $25,000 matching gift and doubling your impact today.

98% of women in the North East Region of Kenya have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FMG).

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