About

Menstruation is where we started. Flourishing young people is where we are going.

Nawiri means flourish. We began with one girl’s story and one clear job: end the silence, the shame and the missing pads that keep girls out of class. Along the way we saw that girls and boys alike needed more, so we grew the work to cover the whole young person.

Our founder’s story

In 2019, Jackline Chepng’eno, a 14-year-old girl in Bomet County, took her own life after a teacher shamed her for soiling her skirt on her first period. Our founder, Catherine Mumo, refused to accept that silence, shame and missing pads were simply part of growing up.

“We must end the inherited silence, the culture of shame that keeps the taboos, myths and misconceptions alive. Normalize menstrual conversations and empower young girls and boys to flourish.”

Catherine Mumo, founder

Our promise. We create safe spaces, provide opportunity and support young people to thrive: in school, in health and in life.

Where it started: the period

Menstruation is our entry point. We educate girls to understand their bodies, and boys to be allies instead of bystanders, because a girl who is supported at home, in class and among friends stays in school.

Who we are today

Beyond menstruation, we offer life skills education that supports the whole young person. Through the Nawiri module, girls and boys explore topics such as drug abuse, self-esteem and relationships, and more.

See the Nawiri module

The gap we fill

Many young people have nobody they can ask the real questions. Nawiri gives them:

Mentorship

A trusted guide who listens and shows what is possible

A safe space

Somewhere to have open conversations without shame

Skills development

Practical skills for school, for work and for life

Our mission

To end period stigma and period poverty among adolescents through mentorship, menstrual health products and education, and life skills, with the support of volunteers, donors and other stakeholders.

Our vision

To eradicate period stigma in Africa.

Global goals

Our SDG alignment

UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good health and well-being

Goal 3Good health and well-beingMenstrual health education and products.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality education

Goal 4Quality educationGirls and boys learning every week of the month.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender equality

Goal 5Gender equalityEnding the shame that only girls carry.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation

Goal 6Clean water and sanitationManaging periods with dignity at school.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced inequalities

Goal 10Reduced inequalitiesSkills development for boys and girls, so opportunity does not depend on gender, school or family income.

How we work

The Dignity Triangle

The adolescent girl sits at the apex. One side is the institutions she is reached through: schools, churches, communities. The other side is the people who make it possible: donors, partners, volunteers. Inside sit the three things she receives: education, materials, skills.

At the apex: the adolescent girlEverything below reaches her.

InstitutionsSchools, churches, communities.

SupportDonors, partners, volunteers.

InsideEducation, materials, skills.

Core Team

The people behind Nawiri

Staff, volunteers and mentors who show up for young people every week.

Catherine MumoFounder

Jeff ObonyoHead of Communications and Operations

Patience MuceeChief Programs Officer

Michael BabuAdvisor

Gianna MboyaHead of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

Peter NzyokiDigital Lead

Blessings MutheuHead of Finance

Jane NyamburaSocial Media and Communications Officer

Brian AchokaSocial Media and Communications Officer

Irene OgadaPrograms Officer

On the record

Registration

Nawiri Sisters Foundation is registered in Kenya. Registration number CLG-E7FRD5, Government of Kenya.

Policies

How we keep young people safe

We work with minors in schools. Our child protection, photo consent and donor privacy policies are public, with a named safeguarding contact. Read the policies.

Walk with a young person this year

KES 200 a month supports one teen with essential care, mentorship and life skills. M-Pesa or card, one-off or monthly.

Adopt a teen