Maisha safe house mission is to reach out, receive and protect girls in the most vulnerable situations of sexual violence and abuses.
PROVIDING SAFE SPACES FOR HEALING FROM ABUSE
In 2014, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, the Maisha Girls Safe House Project was initiated in the sprawling slums of Majengo, Pumwani. In 2015, it was registered as a community project through the financial support of a well-wisher from Drammen, Norway. In Kenya’s national language, Kiswahili, "maisha" means “life.” The Safe House hosts young women seeking a new life. Many have survived sexual violations and abuse and have been kicked out of their homes by abusive parents or relatives. For some girls, new life involves being rescued from abusive scenarios, while for others, it means they ran away from them. The Safe House exists because we believe that no young woman should suffer daily abuses with no family, no support, and nowhere to turn.
Maisha Safe House fills a gap experienced by survivors of sexual violence. The Safe House offers young women opportunities for case management and community integration. Additionally, Maisha creates links to institutions assisting in rehabilitation, long-term housing, treatment, education, and independence. While with us, the girls receive counseling, medical treatment, educational opportunities, temporary shelter, and other immediate needs.
Our care focuses on girls and young women between the ages of 11 and 24 years. We also support girls with emergency needs, such as those who are pregnant or have babies with no place to stay. The girls voluntarily join the Maisha family and are free to leave when they choose. Many stay throughout ongoing court proceedings, while others stay due to safety concerns or fear for their lives.
Currently, Maisha Safe House is blessed to host 28 girls and 8 children who immediately need our love and support. We assist these young women as they break the chains of despair and unlock doors to mental, emotional, and psychological freedom. Maisha Safe House girls need intensive, specialized services that are foundational to their well-being.
We consider these services the foundation of freedom and support for living a fulfilled life:
Your partnership empowers these girls to acquire the necessary building blocks for a foundation of sustainable freedom throughout their lives. Please join the fight against girl trafficking, domestic abuse, youth exploitation, and sexual violence. Your generosity today offers these girls "maisha" – a strong foundation of love, hope, and confidence in their new lives.
Maisha Safe House fills a gap experienced by survivors of sexual violence. The Safe House offers young women opportunities for case management and community integration. Additionally, Maisha creates links to institutions assisting in rehabilitation, long-term housing, treatment, education, and independence. While with us, the girls receive counseling, medical treatment, educational opportunities, temporary shelter, and other immediate needs.
Our care focuses on girls and young women between the ages of 11 and 24 years. We also support girls with emergency needs, such as those who are pregnant or have babies with no place to stay. The girls voluntarily join the Maisha family and are free to leave when they choose. Many stay throughout ongoing court proceedings, while others stay due to safety concerns or fear for their lives.
Currently, Maisha Safe House is blessed to host 28 girls and 8 children who immediately need our love and support. We assist these young women as they break the chains of despair and unlock doors to mental, emotional, and psychological freedom. Maisha Safe House girls need intensive, specialized services that are foundational to their well-being.
We consider these services the foundation of freedom and support for living a fulfilled life:
- Safety & Basic Care: Shelter, food, clothing, and security
- Counseling & Medical: Healing for wounded hearts and bodies
- Education & Training: Personalized education and vocational training plans
- Social Work & Legal Advocacy: Community social work and the pursuit of justice
Your partnership empowers these girls to acquire the necessary building blocks for a foundation of sustainable freedom throughout their lives. Please join the fight against girl trafficking, domestic abuse, youth exploitation, and sexual violence. Your generosity today offers these girls "maisha" – a strong foundation of love, hope, and confidence in their new lives.
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"After running a girls' program in my community for six years, I realized there was a great need for a safe space where the girls could openly discuss the issues in our society. The idea for Maisha Safe House started in my small home and grew within me—first as a girl child myself, and later as a young women's rights defender. Having been raised in Majengo slum, I felt it was ideal to use my house as a temporary shelter and safe space for other vulnerable girls.
Early on, I understood that when girls come to the safe house, they are usually at their wit's end—frustrated, unsure of where to turn, and in desperate need of support. All they needed in those moments was an assuring voice of hope and a shoulder to lean on and cry on. I was always willing to share whatever little love, hope, and resources I had with my sisters in their time of need." |