Roseline Orwa's New Entry

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Roseline Orwa's New Entry: A widows led NGO that is reviving communities with widows as change makers

KenyaKenya
Year Founded:
2013
Organization type: 
hybrid
Project Stage:
Growth
Budget: 
$1,000 - $10,000
Website:
http://www.ronafoundation.co.ke
Twitter: 
https://twitter.com/RonaFoundation
Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/RonaOrphansWidowsCentreWagoma/
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Scaling strategies launched within the past 6 months:
Organizational Growth
Trainings, Consultation
Campaigns
Lobbying, Policy Change
Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

We are a widows led NGO that is Championing for Protection and Advancement of widows Rights in Kenya alongside reviving communities with widows as change makers.

WHAT IF - Inspiration: Write one sentence that describes a way that your project dares to ask, "WHAT IF?"

What if the harmful cultural practices would be outlawed and widow’s rights and access to Justice and Resources Improved.
About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

1. Recognition as distinct group in need of empowerment alongside women and girls. 2. Recognition as a specified vulnerable group. And the Government to:-

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

• Legislate and Pass-Widowhood Laws. Appoint a Board/Commission on Widowhood • Create Widows/Widowers Fund.

Awards

Dear Award
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

Rona Foundation draws the attention of this Committee to some aspects of widows’ lives in the context of the 13 critical areas of concern which they must address: WOMEN AND POVERTY: Widows are among the poorest of poor women, due to lack of rights to inheritance, land, property, employment, credit, and services. Widowhood is a root cause of poverty across the generations and must be addressed through the post 2015 Millennium Development Goals. Now SDGs. EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF WOMEN: Widows’ marginalization, illiteracy, forced immobility and oppression under harmful traditional practices bars them from accessing training and employment. The most common first survival strategy of poor widows is to remove their children – girl child

Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.

Stop Widow Abuse in Kenya Campaign Population affected Over 8 million widows in Kenya Creation of Law by Parliament Under Domestic Offenses Bill-Article 3-iv Widow Cleansing Print, Radio and TV campaigns about Widow Abuse 30 radio Interviews15 TV Shows10 Major Mainstream Print Media Coverage Reached 30 million viewers/Readers” Replication CBos and Widow groups 10 Counties Reached Sauti ya Wajane Kenya Creating a Widows Consortium in Kenya 10 Chapters Launched in 10 Counties Founding the 1st loss and grief centre in Kenya

Spread Strategies: Moving forward, what are the main strategies for scaling impact?

Launching County Chapters Upgrading and replicating the loss and grief centre in various counties Advocating for widows inclusivity to decision making organs
Sustainability

Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?

Upgrading and putting up cottages at the 5 acre piece of land at the Rona Centre for income generation Installing 8 green houses and storage facility for large scale agricultural farming Constructing fish cage farming facility at the Rona Centre that is right at the shores of Lake Victoria Upgrading a dispensary and maternity facility for income generation Upgrading the ECD and technical training facility at the Rona centre

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

The Government of Kenya Elected Legislators Community Stakeholders and duty bearers Its the only organization that broke the silence in outlawing harmful cultural practices and at the same time supporting widows and orphans through the the sysytem of loss and grief centres within the community.
Team

Founding Story

Roseline Orwa is a widow. A childless mother of 166 orphaned children, cervical cancer survivor. Motivational Speaker and a TV Talk show host. She is the Founding Director of Rona Foundation. Early experience of childlessness, abuse and brutal divorce woke her to the reality of a society where the value of a woman is in the number of children she bears. Divorce got her Nairobi house burnt to ashes, her tailoring business was also set on fire; Years later a remarriage short lived, ended in abruptly with the death of her 2nd husband. Widowhood and the cultural practices that followed sent her searching for answers; and none existed. She then founded Rona foundation to find these answers. And show the world the valur of barren, widows.

Team

Zablon Wagala Kefa Ngito
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