Experience Helga Africa

HELGA TO GRACE NANANA

Since the inception of Helga organization in 2000, the organization has directed most of its efforts to the women and children especially the girl child. One of the founders, Priscilla Nangurai, built a lot of compassion on the girl child being a head teacher of a Girls boarding school for 25 years.  She witnessed a lot of suffering of the girl child as they strived to get an education. This is where the rescue programme of girls started and a hostel close the school was put up for the girls to live in during school holidays.
After retirement, HELGA now continued to fund raise to continue supporting girls who were still struggling to achieve an education. Before long, some of the girls she left behind under the rescue programme at the school, followed her to her home. Despite a lot of persuasion to take the girls back to their school, they refused to listen to anybody swearing that they would rather get married or go through FGM rather than go back. HELGA had no option than to allow them to live with their ‘mum’ as they referred to her.
Soon other girls with similar problems heard about what was happening at the founder’s home and they headed there. Within a short time there were 15 girls in total! They were placed in different Primary schools around Kajiado town as day scholars while the Secondary level went to various secondary schools in the country.
One evening, the day scholars came and reported that two of them were abducted on the way from school. The matter was reported to the then District Commissioner who ordered the chiefs from affected areas to bring the girls back. This happened almost immediately! It was now obvious that day schools were not going to be safe for these girls. Something had to be done immediately. Meanwhile a teacher was hired who started teaching together with ‘mum’ making use of any spaces around the home
Within a period of two weeks the classrooms were ready. The name GRACE was found suitable for this centre – Girls Rights Attention Care and Education. It was also founded by the Grace of God. Other names were floating especially Naisula which means excellent, Naserian meaning peaceful and Nabulu which means progressive. There was a lot of hope that it was going to grow. It was then decided to call the centre Grace Nanana.
Grace Nanana became one of HELGA’s projects.