The Her Safe Haven School of Feminism is a radical, youth-led feminist learning space that equips adolescent girls and young women with foundational feminist concepts, advocacy skills, and tools to advance bodily autonomy and movement building. Grounded in the lived realities of marginalized young women, HSH challenges systemic barriers and builds alternative power structures through collective action. To date, 15 young women have completed our flagship workshop; established and now lead the thriving Imarika Club; developed personalized advocacy action plans; and launched active advocacy campaigns—transforming from participants into leaders, trainers, and advocates driving real community change.

Our Strategies

1. That's Why I'm a Feminist: An in-person workshop introducing adolescent girls and young women living with HIV from Kisumu, Siaya, and Nairobi Counties to the foundational concepts of feminism. Participants are trained, mentored, and coached to facilitate feminist conversations with their peers, extending the reach of feminist education into their communities.
2. Leadership, Advocacy & Movement Building: A 4-day hands-on, participatory county-level workshop focused on grassroots network development, followed by monthly peer-led meetings bringing together adolescent girls and young women living with HIV across Nairobi, Kisumu, and Siaya. Together, participants raise consciousness and co-develop an advocacy agenda on feminism, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). Participants are also supported in designing and implementing localized advocacy campaigns—including policy briefs, fact sheets, and multimedia resources—targeting key stakeholders and policy influencers.
3. The Feminist Advocacy Campaign: Weekly virtual sessions where participants co-create, develop, and implement monthly advocacy campaigns. Each session combines peer presentations with collaborative campaign building—from conceptualization through to implementation—developing participants into confident, strategic feminist advocates.
4. Communications & Advocacy Program: An 8-week virtual training program that builds the social media and communications skills of young advocates. Participants develop their own digital platforms and contribute to joint messaging—growing a collective feminist voice with reach beyond their immediate communities.
5. From Self-Care to Action: Monthly virtual training sessions on emotional intelligence, feminist self-care, and soft skills for leadership. Rooted in the understanding that sustainable advocacy begins with self-awareness, this program builds the inner foundation young women need to lead with confidence and resilience.

The LIRA Program strengthens legal responses and provides support for women facing abortion-related challenges across Kisumu, Siaya, and Nairobi counties. By addressing legal barriers, enhancing access to services, and building the capacity of legal and care providers, LIRA promotes women's health, reduces unsafe abortion practices, and safeguards the rights and dignity of women. The program combines rapid legal aid, strategic litigation support, and targeted training to equip individuals with the skills to support women facing abortion-related legal challenges, ensuring that no woman has to navigate such situations alone.

Our Strategies

1. Training for legal & healthcare providers—Continuous capacity-building sessions to equip paralegals, pro bono lawyers, healthcare providers, and community health promoters drawn from all three counties with a deep understanding of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), reproductive health laws, and crisis intervention strategies. This builds a frontline network of informed community actors capable of identifying cases early and responding effectively to protect women's rights and dignity.
2. Legal Aid & Rapid Response System: A network of paralegals, healthcare providers, community health promoters, and pro bono lawyers established to offer direct legal services to women facing abortion-related challenges. Legal aid clinics are organized across Kisumu, Siaya, and Nairobi counties, targeting adolescent girls and young women with streamlined informational resources and support services. Through a partnership with Afya na Haki and KELIN, the program also supports strategic litigation efforts ensuring women have access to timely, effective legal defence when they need it most.

Goal: To address the rising triple threat among adolescent girls and young women by promoting equitable access to sexual and reproductive health and rights while empowering them with skills, peer support, and confidence to lead independent, resilient, and fulfilled lives.

"Imarika" is a Swahili word meaning be firm, be steadfast, be strong" and is at the heart of this program. The Imarika Club is a safe, empowering space where adolescent girls and young women living with HIV build knowledge on SRHR, life skills, and strong peer support systems. Recognizing that adolescent girls and young women living with HIV face compounding vulnerabilities from socio-cultural, economic, structural barriers, etc., the program was designed to address these intersecting challenges. Today, Imarika Clubs are active and thriving, led by adolescent girls and young women living with HIV across sub-counties.

in Kisumu, Siaya, and Nairobi counties. In these safe spaces, the girls hold regular support group sessions, engage in economic empowerment activities, and advocate for their own sexual and reproductive health rights.

Our Strategies

1. Economic Empowerment—Participants are equipped with practical skills through hands-on training in beadwork, mat weaving, crocheting, soap making, and urban gardening. Alongside these creative skills, the AGYW receive basic entrepreneurship and financial literacy training and receive a sales commission from items sold to support their entrepreneurship journey. This integrated approach builds pathways toward economic independence and strengthens their livelihood.
2. Sister Circles—Sister Circles bring members together in guided peer-to-peer discussions that go beyond skill building to nurture the whole person. Through psychosocial peer support, experience sharing, SRHR and well-being conversations, emotional support, and goal-setting sessions, participants strengthen one another, building the confidence, solidarity, and problem-solving capacity needed to navigate their realities and lead fulfilling lives.
3. TALKING BOXES—(Breaking the silence safely) The Talking Box is a confidential, judgment-free tool that gives adolescent girls and young women a private and safe way to voice the issues they face. Placed within safe spaces and during outreaches, the boxes allow participants to write and submit their concerns anonymously, making it especially meaningful for those who find it difficult to open up in group therapy sessions. Since introducing Talking Boxes, many young women who were previously reserved have grown more comfortable expressing themselves, knowing their voices will be heard without fear of judgment or

exposure. Each issue raised is met with a meaningful response, including one-on-one counselling sessions. home visits, targeted SRHR discussions, and referrals to relevant services ensuring that breaking the silence leads directly to support and action.

The Talking Box is a confidential, judgment-free tool that gives adolescent girls and young women a private and safe way to voice the issues they face. Placed within safe spaces and during outreaches, the boxes allow participants to write and submit their concerns anonymously, making it especially meaningful for those who find it difficult to open up in group therapy sessions. Since introducing Talking Boxes, many young women who were previously reserved have grown more comfortable expressing themselves, knowing their voices will be heard without fear of judgment or exposure. Each issue raised is met with a meaningful response, including one-on-one counseling sessions, home visits, targeted SRHR discussions, and referrals to relevant services, ensuring that breaking the silence leads directly to support and action.