Wilter, 19, Kenya
Basic need(s):
Health
Project:
Health Is Wealth
Wilter has seen it all while living in the Dandora slums of Nairobi, Kenya. “Many families earn less than a dollar a day. A lot of my friends have engaged in prostitution, peddling drugs, and even dated older men so as to afford a packet of sanitary towels and other personal necessities.” Of these young girls, many end up pregnant and infected with HIV/AIDS due to rape. Wilter knew she could not stand idly by and watch these atrocities continue. Her response is “Health Is Wealth,” a project that initiates clubs in slum schools in Nairobi. Its objective is to equip enrolled students, particularly girls, with information on health, personal hygiene and sanitation, and how and where to go to seek help for reproductive health issues. In addition to fundraising, Wilter also conducts lectures and discussions about cleanliness and well-being. Moreover, as a member of “Health is Wealth’s” target demographic, Wilter prides herself on being able to ensure that girls do not miss class because of menstruation. In a few short years, Wilter and her 20 constituents have been able to educate almost 60 young women on the importance of hygiene and its direct connection to HIV/AIDS and urinary tract infections. “More girls will finish their education and be clean as well. Meaning, we will have clean girls with high-self esteem and assertiveness.”
