In Ruiru, Kiambu County, a 24-year-old woman named Mary is leading a growing movement to protect women and children from abuse and exploitation. Once unaware of her own rights, Mary is now a passionate gender and child protection advocate, educating girls on the dangers of early marriage, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence. Her transformation began through the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) program, a partnership between World Vision and the County Government of Kiambu aimed at empowering vulnerable adolescent girls and young women to live healthy, independent lives.
The DREAMS initiative equips young women aged 10 to 24 with skills in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and vocational training to reduce their vulnerability to poverty and HIV. According to the 2022 Kenya Health Demographic Survey, Kiambu County faces worrying rates of gender-based violence and teenage pregnancies—42 percent of women aged 18 to 49 report having experienced sexual or physical abuse, while 12 percent of girls aged 10 to 19 have been pregnant. Mary, who once believed early marriage was normal, says the program opened her eyes to the realities of abuse. I used to think it was normal for girls to marry early. But after learning that it’s a form of child abuse, I knew I had to speak up, she recalls.
Now a respected youth leader, Mary organizes community meetings and school workshops during holidays to teach girls about their rights and how to report abuse. Working alongside social workers and county officials, she also mentors girls to remain in school and pursue vocational training for economic independence. Her advocacy has inspired dozens of young women to reject harmful norms and seek safer futures. An educated girl is an empowered girl, Mary often tells her peers. As Kiambu County strengthens its collaboration with organizations like World Vision through programs such as DREAMS and Tumikia Mtoto, local advocates like Mary represent a hopeful shift toward a safer, more equal future for Kenya’s young women and children.