New strategies gained after mobilising support training
August 3, 2024
The Local Fundraising Training: Our Game-Changer
August 3, 2024
What do you do when the only donor you have pulls back? You go back to the drawing board even if that means having to stop operations for some time.
This is the corner that Baraka Women’s centre, an organization started by Dr Teresia Njora found itself after the donor pulled out.
Background
The community-based organization (CBO) was started in 2012 to empower women and young girls. Later, they embraced impacting the boychild. The organization runs various projects such as table banking, hairdressing and beauty, dressmaking, bead work, mentorship and run a rehabilitation Center in Thika called Baraka Therapeutic Home.
When Dr Teresia started Baraka Women’s Center in 2012, her biggest goal was to provide women with a footing in entrepreneurship. Her journey, from childhood to adulthood was one weaved with threads of financial constraints and wanted to make it easy for other women.
“I was brought up in a very humble background and sired my children at an early age. My mother raised us single-handedly and it was such a struggle providing for us.
While in my twenties, I met Women’s Center International and I was picked as the Program Officer. From there, I started working on my objectives because I had long ago committed to help other women and young mothers not to go through what I went through and bring an impact in society. When the Women Center International came, they taught entrepreneurship skills but only stayed in Kenya for two years. For some time, we had to close the center as we sought for funds,” she says.
Challenges
Once an organization has been started by International donors, Dr Teresia says, you only focus on international donors and not much on local donors which becomes a challenge when looking for local donors. “With the international donor having left, I started looking for local donors and that is how I met the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF).
My engagement with them birthed a training on local fundraising through Change the Game Academy.
Training
From her busy office in Ngara, Nairobi, Dr Teresia reveals that she was really amazed by the training. “If I knew what I learnt at the training before, my organization would not have died,” she offers. “I came to realize that there are many local opportunities, but we lack the information.”
One of the key lessons, she learnt was on pitching. Armed with the knowledge, she pitched to a former member of parliament (MP) and received many resources in the form of computers, books, training materials and capital to help women venture into money making businesses. “It opened doors for local donors,” she says.
Her tactic? She is very expressive about the organization and what it does. “When I meet someone, I quickly explain to them about Baraka Women’s Centre and what we do. This piques the interest of many people and they want to know more about us,” she offers.
From trainings to receiving tenders from the County government, the organization has impacted the lives of more than 3,000 women in different parts of the country.
“We have centers in places like Thika, Laikipia and Turkana. The women in these centers are involved in dress making, jewellery and weaving. The dress I am wearing, and these pieces of jewellery are all from Baraka,” she tells us.
Her biggest highlight is that the training equipped her with skills to network, socialize with many people and articulate herself in many fronts.
In Nairobi, Baraka women center has 1200 active members, 400 members in Kiambu, 600 in Laikipia and 220 members in Turkana. The CBO has 15 staff.
To manage the members with such a lean staff, they have adopted a model whereby they have leaders within the various groups. “Occasionally, we onboard volunteers who support us with the operations of the organization.”
Because of her work in the community, the 49-year-old was in 2021 was awarded a honorary degree by Breakthrough International Bible University. “Besides running the centre, together with my husband, Cyrus Njora, we are pastors.”
At Baraka women’s shop in Ngoigwa, Thika, a meek Wilson Njoroge guides a customer on the various items in stock.
My engagement with them birthed a training on local fundraising through Change the Game Academy.
Wilson is a man on a mission—to live a sober life and improve his life. He is one of the beneficiaries of Baraka Therapeutic Home, a rehabilitation center under the organization.
“I came here as an addict of miraa, alcohol and other drugs. When I came here, I was taught how to reform, and I got a job to sell merchandise here. I am also learning how to sew. I am one year into sobriety,” he shares adding that his siblings had brought him here fearing that he was wasting away.
The therapeutic home is headed by Dr Teresia’s husband, Mr Njora, a recovered addict.
“We started in 2020 after realizing that boys and men were wasting away in alcohol. We kick started by offering counselling, but we soon realized that it was not enough. They needed somewhere they could be contained and reform away from their normal environment,” he shares.
To realise this dream, skills and lessons from the local fundraising course came in handy. “We reached out to well wishers to help us buy beds, beddings and other required items. It was challenging to start but for two years now, we have rehabilitated more than 400 boys and men.
However, challenges still abound. “We have some addicts who live far and we have to travel and get them. Some parents are not able to pay for their stay here and it weighs us down since it becomes difficult to pay the psychiatrists and rent which is KES 50,000 every month. There is also the cost of paying workers and buying medicine.
The establishment of Baraka Women’s center has created job opportunities for people like 24-year-old Alice Waruguru.
“I am a trainer here for two years now. My friend whom I had confided in that I was interested in fashion and design, recommended me to Dr Teresia and that’s how I got a job here. It took me about six months to make a skirt,” she offers.
Waruguru trains on dress making and shares that she takes lot of pride in teaching someone else the same skills she was taught. “My finances have also improved, and I am able to meet most of my bills.” Most of the girls she trains have come from humble backgrounds like hers.
Like Waruguru, Wanjiku is another beneficiary of Baraka Women’s center and is currently a dress maker and trainer.
“I joined Baraka in 2016 with no knowledge of dress making. “I was first taught to do bead work for two years, then hair dressing and beauty and finally tailoring and dress making,” she offers.
Before working at Baraka, Wanjiku worked as a house help which was not in alignment with her ambitions. “I came here as a young single mother. Now, my life has changed since I make my own money and I am not dependent on anyone,” she says adding that she aspires to start her own business.
With local fundraising, Dr Teresia advises, whether you have an international donor or not, you can sustain your project because many people are willing to help. To balance her work and ministry, she is driven by passion.
“You must have passion and number two is commitment. Finally, learn to delegate.”
Like Waruguru, Wanjiku is another beneficiary of Baraka Women’s center and is currently a dress maker and trainer.
“I joined Baraka in 2016 with no knowledge of dress making. “I was first taught to do bead work for two years, then hair dressing and beauty and finally tailoring and dress making,” she offers.
