Passion To Purpose: How Xolani Women Of Hope Gives Voice To Survivors

The wise often say that a passionate heart brings forth good things. Dorcas Nyamanya embodies this adage.

Although she diligently worked as an administrator at a services company in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, she felt a sense of dissatisfaction. The work did not align with her true passion, she admits.

Her drive lay elsewhere. She yearned to transform the lives of disempowered women those who endure violence or bear witness to it, yet remain silent, suppressed by social and economic constraints. Empowering these voiceless women was her calling.

December 2022, marked her turning point when she finally decided to resign after nearly seven years of dedicated service.

Days later, she founded Xolani Women of Hope, an organisation aimed at helping women become agents of change in their homes and communities.

'I can go two to three months without a salary, but seeing the positive changes in the lives of these women brings me immense satisfaction,' she says.

Through her organisation, she equips women from the low-income settlement of Korogocho with knowledge about their rights, empowering them to escape from abusive marriages, engage their partners to resolve conflicts, or report and protest against injustices within the community.

'We also train them on how to make soap, scented candles, and body butters,' she explains.

'After the training, we offer them mentorship for six months and provide raw materials to start making the products. So far, out of the 25 women we've trained, 23 have started their own businesses, and two have relocated to rural areas to establish similar ventures.'

She has also acquired computers to introduce the women to digital literacy skills. Currently, three of the trained women are employed at the organisation to produce home decor as well as natural body and cleaning products, with prices ranging from Sh250 to Sh1,500, depending on size and packaging.

'Thirty per cent of the money we make goes into supporting the women,' she affirms.

Their training takes into account the social dynamics that hinder women's empowerment.

'Before we started the training, we conducted a survey to understand why women are not educated and empowered. We found that women cannot attend training from 8am to 5pm because their husbands would not support the idea, as they needed to work to provide for the family. They also lacked the money to pay for childcare. So, we have a flexible training model,' she explains.

'We don't confine them to an 8am to 5pm program. It's up to them to tell us when they are available for the training.'

But Dorcas has her own story of resilience.

She was repeatedly sexually abused by her uncle when she was in Class One. However, it took nearly a decade for her to speak out. Fear restrained her from talking about it, and when she finally did in Form Two, she was frozen as she narrated the experience to her mother.

Her mother's response was heart-breaking.

'She told me, 'That just happened a long time ago,'' she recalls.

'I was deeply hurt. How could she discredit what I went through?'

Dorcas, however, later realised why her mother's reaction was indifferent.

'She didn't have a source of income. What if she spoke against it and was subsequently sent away with us? How would she provide for us?' she ponders.

Now, her mission is to do her utmost to enable women in Korogocho to resist injustices in their homes and communities.