Empowering children and youth in Kibera, Kenya

In 2015, with assistance from a grant from The Junior League of Evanston-North Shore, the Bright Futures program was founded by The Uweza Foundation’s Executive Director Jen Sapitro to empower women to be able to work together, gain skills, and find solutions to support themselves and their families. Bright Futures is an empowerment program and support group for young mothers ages 18 to 30 living in Kibera, a small impoverished town neighboring Nairobi, Kenya. Formal education and employment opportunities in Kibera are limited, making it challenging for Kibera’s youth, particularly young women, to find productive ways to earn income and utilize their free time. The program and all activities have been designed and implemented by the group members, ensuring that they feel ownership of the group and value the group’s sustainability. Uweza and The Junior League of Evanston-North Shore’s role is to provide guidance, oversight, and funding for the group’s activities.

For more information on the Bright Futures Program: Bright Futures

JLE-NS Past President and Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) Past Board Member Karen Miller was the driving force behind ensuring that the Bright Futures program took off and succeeded. She led a design competition to create the Bright Futures logo, presented about the partnership at an ALJI conference and worked tirelessly on the publication of stories about the program and partnership in Sheridan Road magazine and The Junior League’s Connected publication. To honor Karen’s legacy and commitment to the Bright Futures program, the KLM Legacy Bracelet was designed in 2017. Every bead on the bracelet represents a relationship, event, or experience in Karen’s life and the multitude of colors symbolize the vibrancy of her spirit. All proceeds from the sales of KLM Legacy Bracelets directly benefit the Bright Futures program.

For more information about The Uweza Foundation: Uweza Kenya