In the bustling streets of Nairobi many things meet the eye. Street children are roaming up and down, beggars are all over begging for a coin or two. It’s true that everyone is busy and has no time show mercy to the vulnerable in the society. However, Zenet Tume Mohamed seems to be seeing beyond what other people are seeing. She grew up seeing children suffering in the streets of Nairobi. The experience which she came in terms with living and studying with children from humble background has made her to take bold step to help women who facing challenges in Nairobi.
Zenet is the founder of Identity254, an NGO which helps women by equipping them with skills so that they can fend for themselves and for their children. She says she grew up in South B, Nairobi and she saw many people suffering that is why she decided to resign from her job so that she can give back to the society. She is the holder of masters degree in International Relations.
“I grew up in South B and saw people from impoverished community going through a lot. Going to the mosque I would see kids in the street walking barefoot and going through hardships. That is why I decided that I should make a difference. I did International Relation – development studies and my mission was to acquire skills that will enable me to make a difference (in the society),” she says.
Zenet says that she finds ultimate happiness helping women than being in employment. She says she had been employed twice; as a strategic business consultant and in customer service in different firms in Nairobi. The experience that she acquired in formal employment had proven vital in her new role of running an NGO. She says she chose to append her resignation so that she can dedicate her time to helping women.
Free courses
At Identity254, courses are offered for free thanks to the founder’s dedication which has prompted her to put her savings into helping the needy women. The organization offers courses including crash business course, tailoring and dress making.
As we arrived at the organization’s premise in South B we met about eight young women who are undertaking tailoring and fashion design course. They expressed their happiness for the opportunity that Identity254 has given them. They are taking a six-month tailoring and dress making course which is offered for free.
Other initiatives that the organization does include environmental conservation which ring-fences planting of tree and creating awareness on importance of environmental conservation. Additionally, the organization supports people with mental challenges by giving guidance and counselling.
“Our mission is to identify, train and we mentor. We are mostly focused on vocational training and at the moment we are doing tailoring. The tailoring is a six-month program. We train women on how to choose garments, how to cut, do fitings and sewing them. Therefore, by the time they graduate they will have full knowledge own enterprises and designers. We also offer crash courses like hoe to run businesses and financial literature,” Zenet says.
She adds, “We have mental wellness program. Now days we have many cases of depression, suicides, anxiety and so much that happens in the society. So, we felt that for these women have gone through a lot and when they come here, they will find a place where they can express themselves even if they need someone to talk to them and that is why we have a counselor here,” she reiterates.
Running an NGO without donors and support from well-wishers is not easy. However, Zenet says she has worked hard to acquire the resources. She says her motivation is to see lives of other women improving and thus using her personal savings and resources to establish the organization does not feel as a burden.
“At the moment (the organization) is self-funded. This is something I did with my savings. Everything we have acquired is not one time thing. I got sewing machines, equipment, furniture gradually. We stocked everything that they (trainees) need because we didn’t want them to have hiccups when they start. I registered this NGO in 2020 it’s now running,” she shares.
Challenges and future plans
Zenet says she is passionate about helping other women which explains why she has dedicated her time to help women even tough she faces some obstacles. Some of the challenges that she has faced includes truancy, lack of sponsors to sponsor some activities in the organization and getting subsidies for fabrics used in training course like dress making.
“One of the biggest challenges is to see some students leaving the because once a student stops the course, you can’t replace them because the new student will not catch up with the rest and the desk will be empty. Another challenge is not having partners to sponsor the activities or get subsidies in buying fabrics for use here. In terms of family, it can be very challenging but they are very supportive. Convincing my dad that what I am doing is what I want especially in the African setting is not easy,” she says smilingly.
She says she wants to see a good future for women through the help of Identity254 and seeks to impact the lives of many families through it. She also adds that the ultimate joy and happiness is drawn from making someone else’s life better and not in having a lot of material possession.
“My heart is grateful. I feel that giving back (to the society) gives me you the happiness and joy. It’s not about what I have but a difference I am making in someone’s life. I want to see Identity254 being an NGO that makes a difference in terms of ensuring other people’s lives getting better and ensuring people are aware of themselves mentally,” she concludes.
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