Mathare Girl Power Project

My name is Fiona Sims. A few years ago I recieved visitors in my home from one of the biggest slum areas in Nairobi, Kenya.

We deliver nutritious breakfasts to children, implement targeted interventions to address period poverty, and provide mentorship to girls in urban slums and rural communities to promote their empowerment and overall well-being. After they left, I wanted to do something that would make a difference to their lives and the lives of young women living in Mathare. Together with Maqulate Atieno Onyango

we started our Salon Initiative. Fiona's Salon Initiative is a small project in Nairobi aimed at providing a workplace for young women where they can earn a wage at the hair salon and help provide for their children. Our goal is to provide a place where young mothers can work towards their own empowerment and independence. Since then we have also started our Girls Empowerment program. We work within 10 local schools providing education for girls. Our curriculum teaches sexual reproduction, sexual health and menstrual hygiene, AIDS and HIV prevention and girls and womens rights. We train peer mentors, provide coaching sessions and workshops. Mathare Slums, where we are based and the oldest of the slums is home to more than a million Nairobi residents struggling with inadequate access to clean Water, Sanitation, Healthcare and Education. This is where the girls were born, and live. Despite these challenges, these girls have been able to stand-out, gain basic education and sustain themselves. By joining Fiona's Salon initiative, they will be able to work, sustain their families and build a lifetime carrier by becoming professionals. In this way Young mums are not forced to turn to drugs or prostitution as a means of feeding their children or paying for school fees. By working as a hairdresser they can live independently and pay for school fees and uniforms for the children, because in Nairobi no uniform means no

Education for girls is a basic right which we take for granted. By following our program we are teaching and encouraging girls to make positive informed choices and empowering girls. If you would like to support this project you can make a donation to STICHTING MATHARE GIRL POWER at bank account number IBAN NL97 RABO 0313 0268 15

Follow this page for news and updates about fundraising events and how the project is getting along!

Photos from Mathare Girl Power Project's post

05/06/2026

Outdoor session..

04/06/2026

The Junior Sessions are currently in progress, fostering learning, growth, and active participation among the young girls.

01/06/2026

Our June Mentorship Schedule is now out. We wish all our mentors and mentees a productive, impactful, and skill-building month ahead as we continue to learn, grow, and inspire one another through mentorship.

01/06/2026

Happy 63rd Madaraka day.

30/05/2026

Our fundraising event today was a great success. We are grateful to God and deeply appreciate all our friends and supporters who joined us.

A special thank you to Geert and the Clarinet Quartet for their wonderful musical performance, and to everyone who attended, performed, and supported the event. It was truly inspiring to see friends and friends of friends come together through the power of music.

We also appreciate everyone who purchased our merchandise. The proceeds from these sales will directly support the project and help us continue empowering and impacting lives within our community.

Thank you all for your generosity, friendship, and commitment to our cause.Geert WeijkampFiona Weijkamp-simsFreya Weijkamp

28/05/2026

This afternoon, the Girl Power Weekly Rural Session was held at Bumutiru AC School in Busia County. Through mentorship and life skills sessions, we continue empowering rural girls with knowledge, confidence, and opportunities to thrive.

26/05/2026

In all our activities, we prioritize seeking consent from parents and guardians and ensuring proper documentation to facilitate smooth operations. This also reflects our commitment to stakeholder involvement, as collaboration and approval from both parents and teachers are essential in ensuring that our activities are implemented effectively and efficiently.