To meet the challenges posed by the pandemic in 2020, Kakanjya’s Dream developed the Angaza (“Shine” in Swahili) project. Since June they have been distributing care packages to students and their families which include basic necessities, such as soap, feminine hygiene products, and food staples, which they would otherwise not have. They also purchased and distributed solar powered radios and light. A total of five rounds of distribution occurred in 2020.

With Women for Change’s support, Kakenya’s Dream were also able to add internet bundles to enable 35 tertiary students to pursue free online courses to those that had a smartphone or the power at home to charge their laptops. For those participating, the courses kept them engaged and for many they broadened their horizons beyond the tertiary course they are pursuing. Courses included entrepreneurship, sciences, program/project management, psychology, public speaking, and foreign languages. Following the conclusion of the classes, students were required to report back on the course and experience.

Here’s Charity Sayialel (Cohort 3), who took a Spanish course, “Learning online was encouraging and helped me learn more. It was easy to ask a question and get feedback so I could expand my learning. The class also kept me busy because I woke up each day knowing that I had a lesson to attend and some questions to answer.”

Jackline Kantai (Cohort 1), who took a course on entrepreneurship, said, “In our community, it’s rare to find a parent purchasing sanitary towels for you. It’s never in their mind or plan to do so. So with the care packages being provided by Kakenya’s Dream, we are able to check on our menstrual hygiene. For us tertiary students, solar chargers have been helpful since we can easily charge our phones and study online, as we are also provided with data bundles for online courses, different from the courses I’m undertaking in the university.”