Tushinde Children’s Trust

It’s time to celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science on the 11th of February. Let’s continue to spread global awareness to campaign for women and girls to fully engage in the world of science. As the recent pandemic has shown us the importance of science in all of our futures and gender equality must be at the forefront of this transition.

I have spoken with the founder of Tushinde Children’s Trust, Megan Wright – to see the difficulties the charity has faced, how they help women, and goals for the future.

Megan told me ~ “Tushinde’s program is unique, where they actively seek out families who are at risk.” She started the charity after her time living in Kenya and with the support of dedicated helpers there and in the UK – the charity was born.

A lot of children were falling through the gap in the slums of Kenya. The children weren’t going to school or getting the medical help they required. Megan said ~ “If you had an early intervention with the families – you could work with the parents – and help address their problems. Before the children ran away and went to live on the street.”

Vivian Aoko success story

One success story from Tushinde is Vivian Aoko – who dreams of being a neurosurgeon (disorders that affect the nervous system). Vivian is in high school and has above average grades. She lives in the Mathare Informal Settlement – with both of her parents and eight siblings. Her father is a fisherman and works in the local river, and her mother runs a small business.

She describes her life to be extremely dangerous and youths have accessibility to drugs; crimes; and early teenage pregnancies. Vivian said ~ “You have to have a clear sense of who you are and your goals in life to survive in Mathare.”

Vivian’s aim is to finish high school, enroll in university, and study medicine. She is passionate about peer mentoring – helping other young teens and children – and guiding them to make decisions that will positively impact their lives. In her spare time, she enjoys reading books and visits to the local library.

Vivian said ~ “I feel like I am inching closer to my dream – I just need to be patient and work hard and smart – I know I will get there! This scholarship opportunity has given me hope and the determination to finish school and transition to university.”

Tushinde needs your support in helping more girls like Vivian. Megan has the mindset to ~ “walk the journey with the family” and one way you can assist is starting with the Mathare community.

Grassroots charities

Megan wants to ~ “make the family unit stronger”, as the poorest children in the world are at the highest risk. With the pandemic in play – as everyone looks inwards and shuts down to stay safe – they are in more danger of being forgotten about. Let’s keep the awareness in mind to bring more women and girls into the science industry and gender equality at a high.

Now more than ever, the conversation needs to be brought to the forefront and we need to show the positive outcomes of grassroots (community as the basis for political or economic movements) charities like Tushinde Children’s Trust. Their systems: school sponsorship, scholarship and family support programs, and daycare centers can help keep adults and children secure and learning.

At Tushinde they are adapting to working through the crisis – with their main goal to keep the families safe and happy! Megan said the children they are supporting have ~ “lost access to education and food”, as have many others all over the world.

These children are high-level risk of abuse and the charity has adjusted to helping with these cases remotely. Their social workers haven’t been able to go into the field since March 2020. But hopefully, they can be in close contact with these families once again.

It’s time to heal

Megan said ~ “In 2021 we will be bringing everything back together – healing and making sure our families are getting back on their feet – after a massive change.” It’s a time for ~ “rebuilding and stability”.

In light of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Tushinde Children’s Trust, and this testing time of Covid-19 – know your impact matters! Today we should be laying the foundation and making a positive, healthier, and brighter future for our women and girls of tomorrow.