My name is Jackline Wambua, and I’m the project director of Personal Politics Kenya. Back in the spring, I spoke about how I want girls and women in Kenya to live their lives free from gender-based violence.
I was thrilled to share my story as part of the first Personal Politics cohort. But I wanted to go further and empower other people to share their stories: to create narratives that depict how we see ourselves as young Kenyan leaders and that change entrenched mindsets.
Change can feel overwhelming. But good stories make us recognize our power to tackle big issues one slice at a time — no matter how small that slice may be.
For the past two months, I’ve led a group of five incredible Kenyan women in developing stories on topics ranging from education to LGBTQ discrimination. Nadav and I led a political communication workshop for the group and then worked one on one with each participant through multiple rounds of edits.
The participants have worked really hard to shape their passions into prose — and I can’t wait for you to read their stories as we release them over the coming weeks. For now, I want to introduce our cohort:
Ivy
Ivy Songok is a final year student at Multimedia University of Kenya where she studies journalism. Ivy is a change-maker who is passionate about sustainable development and social entrepreneurship. Her Personal Politics story is about child poverty and how to best support street working children.
Jane
Jane Wanjiru is a second year student at University of Nairobi pursuing Dental Surgery. Her Personal Politics story is about the importance of mentorship for young adults, and how we need more of it.
Jeruto
Jeruto Faith is a law student at Africa Nazarene university. She believes in accountability, equality and diversity. Her Personal Politics story is about the need for inclusive laws that protect the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQ community and all Africans.
Maximine
Maximine Awuor is currently a student at Jomo Kenyatta University majoring in Human Resource Management. Her Personal Politics story is about infrastructure — from clean water to accessible roads — and how “vote-buying” in Kenyan elections is depriving the country of good leaders.
Rosemary
Rosemary Wangui is an incoming freshman at Beijing Institute of Technology majoring in Computer Science but currently is at NorthEast Normal University Preparatory school of Chinese Studies. Her Personal Politics story is about education — and how a single book can save a child’s life.