Maisha Bora is a Kiswahili word that means “good life,” but despite the village being called “Maisha Bora,” there is no visible good life in the area. The village is forgotten among those in Isiolo County. In terms of development, they have lagged behind despite being a few kilometers away from Isiolo town. The area lacks schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers for drug habits, and a good source of water.

The area also has a lot of school dropouts, high levels of drug abuse, and a lack of sustainable business projects that can support villagers’ livelihoods. The GHNI volunteers noticed the gap and need in Maisha Bora and stepped up to do mentorship on the five areas of Transformational Community Development (TCD). We started with Education programs since education is what makes “the rich and poor sit at the same table.”

We met with village elders, and they introduced us to a number of girls who were school dropouts due to a lack of school fees. We enrolled the girls in our empowerment school, and some are learning tailoring and dressmaking while others are learning hairdressing. The elders are very grateful for the work the volunteers are doing.