By Shamsa Abdi Jele (YES 2014-2015, Kenya, placed by AYUSA in Atlanta, GA)

Coming from Mombasa, Kenya to Atlanta, Georgia as a YES student offered innumerable experiences, but most notably, it helped me become the role model for young girls in my community that I am proud to be today. Through the YES program, I gained so much confidence in myself, and as an alumna, I have organized a lot of projects to benefit my community. As the Mother Teresa quote says, “the greatest good is what we do for one another.”

I earned my degree in Economics and Statistics and throughout my university life, I learned how to manage small amount of money my parents sent me and budgeting it to meet my needs without constantly having to ask for more. When I graduated and returned to Mombasa, I saw that personal financial management is a major problem facing the women here, especially single mothers. Other women are forced to stay in unhealthy relationships to provide for their children. 

A higher percentage of the population in Mombasa is female rather than male, so empowering women to manage their own finances benefits society as a whole. Financially literate women stand a better chance of gaining financial freedom, giving their children a better life, and teaching the next generation how to manage their finances.

This problem motivated me to apply for a YES Alumni Grant for the project Women’s Empowerment through Financial Literacy. Through this project, my team and I held a three-day training for 25 women on how to budget, save for their goals and emergencies, and pay off debt. We selected participants, ages 18 to 42, who earn less than $200 per month.

Through facilitated sessions and interactive activities, participants explored the topics of money mindset, saving and investing, budgeting, debt management, village savings and loan associations, increasing one’s income, and the importance of an emergency fund. Guest speakers assisted with engaging participants in sessions to increase their financial literacy and put them on a path towards financial freedom. Participants were tasked with sharing what they learned at the workshop with at least two other women in their community.

By the end of the training, it was apparent that participants had a mindset shift around money. From ongoing engagement of our WhatsApp group, I know that many are now tracking their day-to-day spending to avoid overspending on things they do not need, while several others have started saving and promise to share their progress with the group. Five participants were awarded a grant by my partner organization to expand their businesses.

Following our social media posts, community members have been reaching out to ask when we will hold another workshop. I am hoping to collaborate with other community-based organizations and apply for more grants to conduct more trainings soon.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the YES program and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for giving me the opportunity to do this wonderful project and make such a great impact in my community. A huge thank you to my partner organization, Her narrative, for all the support they provided to make this project a success. I am grateful to my fellow alumni and volunteers, who helped bring an idea to reality. I would also like to thank YES staff at American Councils and AFS Kenya for their support and guidance.