Refugee training projects:
Women's Wellbeing and Empowerment
for Leadership and Community Development
Supporting refugee women's wellbeing and leadership in Eastleigh, Nairobi
THRIVE aims to foster civic refugee women leaders that can support community life and well-being though social and economic empowerment.
Since March 2018, Thrive has embarked on empowerment and leadership training with a small group of Somali women refugees in Eastleigh, Nairobi (15-25 refugee women, ‘Sisterhood Group’ with outreach to over 100 women and their families).
promoting change through wellbeing
The project draws on the framework of 'wellbeing' with the notion that one can only lead if one knows how to look after oneself and one's community! The refugee project was conceived to promote the individual and collective ‘well-being’ and leadership skills of Somali refugee women as a foundation to building resilient livelihoods and promoting community inclusion.
Drawing on an integrated perspective of ‘wellness’ in contrast to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Thrive adopted a holistic approach to developing different facets of human well-being. This incorporated five core dimensions in a ‘wheel of well-being’, including physical well-being, financial well-being, social well-being, environmental/community well-being, and a sense of purpose. To date, Thrive has supported several internal workshops and training in physical (physical and mental), financial and social wellbeing.
Figure 1: ‘Wheel of Wellbeing’ (source: CBIZ)
The first set of workshops and training focused on appreciating and understanding the importance of physical and mental wellbeing through diet, physical exercise and prayer/contemplation/ relaxation. In practical support to physical wellbeing, the group have participated in a short course on “Yoga and Healing’ by visiting yoga instructor, Charlotte Kelberine (‘Ladies and Laughter in Nairobi’). The group has also hosted a number of Women’s Poetry Circles to commemorate important days such as Women’s Day, and World Refugee Day.
The second set of workshops and training turned to financial wellbeing including sustainable income and work, savings and budgeting, and use of technology (for financial transactions and business). In practical support to financial wellbeing, Thrive has initiated group savings activities and the start of a women’s business in tie and dye.
The third set of workshops and training turned to social wellbeing including relationships with family and friends, and the extent to which individuals feel connected to others, and a sense of belonging and inclusion.In practical support to social wellbeing, Thrive has encouraged active community care / alerts by the group, with links to local community-based organisations, to support women and girls in potential situations of harm or abuse.
The final set of sessions discussed the environmental/community well-being, including the power of nature to transform wellbeing and the importance of a good physical community environment.
stimulating Livelihoods
With a strong focus on stimulating livelihood opportunities on the back of the various ‘well-being’ trainings, a savings scheme was introduced, and with technical support, the group has now set up a small, collective tie-dye business.”
Complementary community activities
In addition to well-being training, the project has sought to organise cultural community initiatives, including women’s poetry circles building on Somali oral traditions and a love for poetry[11], to commemorate important days such as Women’s Day, 16 Days of Activism and World Refugee Day. The group has also participated in short courses on ‘Trauma-informed Yoga and Healing’ by visiting yoga instructors. In addition, the project has supported the active involvement of the refugee women in city refugee events, including refugee runs and forest walks.
new OPPORTUNITies through technology and Digital inclusion
Recently, to help refugee women engage in emerging technology and new digital opportunities, we have also boosted refugee women's digital inclusion through the practical use of mobile devices and social media for social support, protection and socio-economic exchange.
Over time, Thrive aims to build the capacity and skills of local refugee women as leaders in Eastleigh to be advocates for social, economic, technological and environmental change in their families and in their communities.
After four years of piloting our approach, the project is keen to extend to at least five other women’s refugee groups in Eastleigh and create a network of thriving refugee women!
Relevant publications
Both prior to and over the course of the project, Dr Ritchie has endeavoured to understand the situation of refugees in Kenya and beyond. Recent publications (2021-2022) are linked to the ongoing project in Eastleigh, and lessons learnt in facilitating digital inclusion and coping with Covid-19.
Ritchie, H.A. (2022) ‘An institutional perspective to bridging the divide: The case of Somali women refugees fostering digital inclusion in the volatile context of urban Kenya’, New Media & Society
Ritchie, H.A. (2022) ‘Digital Technology And (Frugal) Innovation In Marginalized Refugee Communities In Kenya: Aiding Resilience, Self-Reliance And Inclusion?’ Briefing Note, International Centre for Frugal Innovation and THRIVE.
Ritchie, H.A. (2021) ‘Coping in the Crisis? Lessons Learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic in marginalized refugee communities in Kenya’, Policy Brief, Henry J. Leir Institute, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
Ritchie, H.A. (2019) ’Challenging the status quo from the bottom up? Gender and enterprise in Somali migrant communities in Eastleigh, Kenya’ in Scharrer, T. and Carrier, N. (Eds) (Berghahn series ‘Integration and Conflict Studies, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology).
Ritchie, H.A. (2018) Exploring Refugees and ICTs: Innovating Towards Inclusion and Integration in Fragile Environments? The Hague: Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa (CIFA).
Blogs:
Please do get in get in touch if you would like more information and/or are keen to support this initiative: info@thriveforchange.org We highly appreciate your support of this critical grassroots project for vulnerable refugees!
