Ngong: At 15, Susan Wairimu became a mother while still a child herself, growing up in Mathare slum in Ngong town. Twelve years later, the experience that once defined her struggle has become the foundation of her mission-to help other teenage mothers rebuild their lives.
According to Kenya News Agency, now 27, Wairimu is the founder of the Inspire Teenagers Foundation, which is using her personal experience to mentor young mothers and equip them with skills to become economically independent and advocates against teenage pregnancies in their communities. The foundation marked International Youth Day on Wednesday by welcoming its second cohort of young women aged 18 to 25 from Matasia, Kiserian and parts of Ngong into its three-month ‘Inspire to Rise’ programme.
The programme comes as Kajiado continues to grapple with high rates of teenage pregnancies. According to the 2026 Economic Survey, the county recorded the highest number of pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14 nationally. A separate analysis by the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, placed Kajiado second nationally for teenage pregnancy prevalence among girls aged 15 to 18, at about 36 percent. But behind the statistics are girls facing poverty, violence, and limited opportunities.
Wairimu noted that most cases are a result of violence and transactional sex due to the high poverty rate. She explained that the foundation’s approach begins with healing before skills development. The programme offers psychosocial support and allows participants to choose from four skills pathways: tailoring, pastry and bakery, detergent production, and poultry farming. They gain practical experience through job shadowing in local businesses.
The foundation collaborates with the County Government through Community Health Volunteers, Fred Foundation, and the Capillion Foundation. However, Wairimu expressed concerns about inadequate coordination among government departments, calling for stronger cooperation.
For 22-year-old Elizabeth Mitian, a beneficiary of the programme’s first cohort, the initiative has already begun to change her story. After graduating last year, Mitian applied her training in entrepreneurship, farming, soap-making, bag-making, and detergent production. She now keeps chickens and sells eggs. Despite facing challenges like limited access to markets and capital, Mitian urged the government to strengthen implementation of youth financing programmes.
Wairimu views Mitian’s journey as a representation of the bigger purpose of her work: transforming teenage mothers from statistics into young women with skills, confidence, and the power to change their communities. Her own painful beginning has become a pathway of hope for others.
International Youth Day is observed annually on August 12 to celebrate the potential of young people, highlight global youth issues, and advocate for their active participation in decision-making and sustainable development. This year’s commemoration ran under the theme ‘Different Contexts, Common Aspirations’.
