The Morning Hope Danced in Kilifi: Tewa’s Journey with Fanikisha.

Light moments during the graduation

It began quietly . A few curious faces, a few hesitant smiles, and the promise of learning something new. Six months later, that quiet beginning bloomed into one of the most joyful mornings we’ve ever witnessed at Tewa Training Centre.

On October 7th, our hall in Kilifi came alive with music, colour, and the unmistakable rhythm of celebration.

158 women from Shariani, Mtepeni, and Msumarini filled the room — not as students, but as graduates. Their red sashes shone brightly against the backdrop of our coastal light, each one a symbol of courage, commitment, and a new beginning.

At Tewa, we have always believed that education is the heartbeat of transformation. Being part of Kianda Foundation, our mission has remained the same: to create spaces where women can learn, grow, and lead. When the Fanikisha Program came to Kilifi, we knew it had found its natural home here — among women whose hands build families, communities, and futures, often with very little.

Fanikisha women dancing.

For half a year, our classrooms became meeting points of laughter, discovery, and resilience. The women learned about running small businesses, managing finances, and developing cookery skills that can put food on the table and money in their pockets.

But what happened went far beyond training. We watched women find their voices. We watched confidence replace self-doubt. We watched friendships blossom into support systems that will last well beyond the program.

Kilifi is a land of contrasts ; breathtaking ocean views and red-earth paths lined with coconut palms, yet home to some of the highest poverty and illiteracy levels in Kenya. According to the World Food Programme and CALP Network (2018), one in five women in Kilifi between the ages of 15 and 49 has never attended school.

A Fanikisha graduate recieving her certificate.

Every time we teach a class, we see what those numbers mean in real life. It means a woman struggling to read a medical note for her child. It means missed opportunities. It means voices unheard.

That is why Fanikisha became more than a program for us — it became a movement of hope

For us at Tewa, this first Fanikisha graduation is not the end of a journey — it’s the beginning of a ripple effect. The knowledge and confidence these women carry back to Shariani, Mtepeni, and Msumarini will continue to grow in their homes, in their markets, and in their daughters’ dreams.

We believe this is how transformation truly begins — one woman, one family, one village at a time.

As one of our trainers said that morning, watching the graduates dance across the hall:

“The light we’ve seen here today , it’s not going out anytime soon.”

And we couldn’t agree more.

Cake cutting during the graduation

At Tewa Training Centre, we remain committed to empowering women through education that builds dignity, independence, and opportunity. Fanikisha reminded us of what is possible when women are given the tools to thrive — and the belief that they can.

To our 158 graduates: we are proud of you. To our partners at Kianda Foundation and everyone who supported this journey: thank you for walking beside us.

Because of you, hope has a new home in Kilifi.