From Ciheb-Kenya: DREAMS Made Me a Succesful Woman

Celine is 22 years old and the firstborn in a family of five children. She was born and raised in Fuata Nyayo village in Nairobi, South Ward. She was enrolled in the Nairobi DREAMS project in 2016 while in Form Two (Second Year of High School). Determined Resilient Empowered AIDS-Free Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) is a community-based PEPFAR-initiated program providing a comprehensive package of layered biomedical (sexual and reproductive health), social (social asset building, education subsidies) and economic interventions (economic empowerment) that not only targets the AGYWs but their families, communities, and male partners. With funding from CDC, CIHEB-Kenya, through the CONNECT program, has subgranted Hope Worldwide Kenya to implement the DREAMS program in 30 wards in Nairobi county.

Before the project, Celine had no aspirations for her future. During her school break, she would idle at home, watching television, and would sometimes help with household chores. She discovered the project through word of mouth from her friends in school. Joining the DREAMS project was exciting and empowering since she was able to attend social asset-building sessions and receive interventions such as financial capability and entrepreneurship training, cash transfers, and My Health My Choice sessions. Her confidence and self-esteem grew by engaging with her mentor. DREAMS program supported her high school education, and after completing high school, she...Read full story here at Ciheb-Kenya on page 5.