Why We Do It

Our Vision

A crown for every African Girl

Our Mission

To catalyze community, change to amplify the Agency, Voice, and Choice of adolescent girls and Youth.

Our Founding Story

At 12, I watched my best friend disappear from school, married off after undergoing FGM. One by one more girls vanished and became victims of harmful cultural practices. That was my turning point. I realized education had saved my life, just as it had transformed my grandfather’s when he was made to attend school by chance. His opportunity became my inheritance, and I vowed to return to my community to create change. That promise gave birth to the Malkia Initiative, which now empowers girls across pastoralist Kajiado, giving them the voice, choice, and power to reclaim their futures and uplift their communities

Jedidah Lemaron – Founder & Executive Director

In Kajiado’s rural pastoralist communities, systemic and cultural barriers continue to limit opportunities for adolescent girls and youth, leaving them marginalized and without a voice in shaping their futures. At the Malkia Initiative, we believe that every young person deserves the skills, confidence, and agency to break these cycles of disenfranchisement. By investing in their potential, we empower them to challenge harmful norms, access education and economic opportunities, and become leaders in their communities. Change begins when girls and youth are given the tools to rewrite their own narratives—and that’s why we do what we do.

Where We Work

The Malkia Initiative operates in the rural pastoralist communities of Kajiado South, Kajiado Central Kajiado West where traditional practices and systemic barriers often limit opportunities for adolescent girls and youth. This region, known for its rich cultural heritage,Also faces challenges such as, Female genital mutilation (FGM), Child marriages, teenage pregnancies, Poverty, limited access to quality education and Reproductive health services that’s disproportionately affect young people especially adolescent girls. By working with this communities, we provide localized impactful programs that equip adolescent girls and young people with the skills, knowledge and support they need to overcome these challenges and create lasting change