SOLWODI Kenya

Mombassa, Kenya

This past week, we were able to visit with women from the Solwodi women's program in Mombassa which has a large Muslim women's self help group project. It was a valuable experience to learn from the success and challenges of another program seeking to help vulnerable women and children in an urban context.

Elizabeth Nyambura and Lucy Mwirigi with SOLWODI Kenya

Solwodi (Solidarity with Women in Distress) is a comprehensive ministry to commercial sex workers and those at risk in the coastal region of Kenya. The program was started in 1985 by Dr. Sister Leah Akamanm, a German Catholic nun who recognized how poverty pushed vulnerable women into prostitution. Solwodi was registered as an official organization in 1997 and has had a lasting impact on thousands of women and young girls.

The Solwodi Rehabilitation program is currently helping five hundred women and girls who have left prostitution to rebuild their lives. Along with health and life style training, the women access education, vocational training and micro credit opportunities and are formed into self-help groups. With approximately fifty percent of these women HIV positive, AIDS awareness, treatment and prevention are an essential part of the program.

Another important aspect of the Solwodi approach is their Affiya 2 peer education program where social workers and ex-prostitutes identify and meet with active sex trade workers to educate them on the dangers and risks of their way of life and draw women into the rehabilitation program and out of the sex trade. This is a challenging and dangerous ministry, but by God's grace they have seen many transformed lives.

One of the newest initiatives of the Solwodi program is their "Self Esteem Project" that has trained 32 women in sandal making and fine arts.

Making and selling sandals is a sustainable way for these women to provide a dependable livelihood for their families.

In Prayer:

Please uphold the women of Solwodi in your prayers. Especially leaders like Elizabeth, Rebecca and Farida who are striving to empower women and young girls to live a life of dignity and abundance in Christ.

Child trafficking is a huge issue in Kenya and throughout the world. Please remember the Solwodi program as it presently cares for 30 women and young girls who were rescued from Europe and returned to Kenya where they are now living in their safe house. We pray for healing and restored hope as these women grow in faith.