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Safaricom DT Sacco transforms lives as it sets plans to empower communities

It is a chilly Saturday morning as the Sacco Trend magazine joins the Board, Management and staff of Safaricom Sacco, heading for an event like no other.

As we drive along Waiyaki Way to Uthiru and later on Naivasha road to Dagoretti, I try to picture our destination – the children’s home. Finally, after about one and half an hour drive, we arrive at Njoo Dada rescue home. Close to my imagination, we are welcomed by the happy faces of young girls, carrying beautiful babies.

A mistaken identity – I relate them to the young ones’ caregivers. But this is the girls’ home. Lunar, the Director at Njoo Dada warmly welcomes us to the place, which she refers to as a safe haven for teenage mothers.

According to Elizabeth Mudogo, Vice-chair Safaricom DT Sacco and the chairperson Business Development Committee (BDC), the event gives the society an edge in touching lives and bringing joy and laughter to the girls.

“From where I sit, I think this is a bit exciting moment, coming to Njoo Dada has brought our emotional being to life. The spirit that we have of transforming lives and being able to touch is among the activities that we do,” says Mudogo.

“We were looking for a single forum where we can have both the Board,  management and staff meet for a good reason, which is impacting the lives of members and members to come. And we are also keen on being able to touch a life and bring joy to what we are doing.

“It is not all just work, there is also play, so we are also trying to bring in the play part and to also be able to have an emotional attachment to the people that we interact with,” she adds.

Sustainable projects

Mudogo assures the Sacco’s commitment to supporting initiatives meant to transform and touch lives in the society. According to her, the Sacco board and the management will be mulling over sustainable projects that will support Njoo Dada initiatives.

We are cognizant of the fact that Njoo Dada basically handles young girls, specifically teenage mothers and we also want to be that person that we can mentor… not only supporting today, we are looking at a sustainable project that we can work with them. They have shared with us their immediate needs, their long-term needs and we have been jogging our minds,” confirms the Vice chairperson.

As our engagement goes on, there are other activities that the staff engages in, putting a smile on the girl’s faces. A section of the team gets to the garden and weeding, while others get to the kitchen to prepare lunch, wash dishes, cooking among other activities. The home feels lively and joyous as interactions go on.

I get the opportunity to sit down with Safaricom DT Sacco Chief Executive Officer Joseph Njoroge. In a show of goodwill, Njoroge reveals that the society has donated a 10, 000 litre water tank, some foodstuffs, clothing and a cash donation of Kshs 300,000. This will help the Njoo Dada family be able to smoothly undertake their projects and activities.

“Every year, we set aside a budget for the CSR activities. Over the years we have been supporting various initiatives e.g. KNH children cancer ward and donations of equipment, but we felt that this year we need to do something different that can really touch other lives. When we learned about this institution, we felt that we can make a difference,” says Njoroge.

The CEO reaffirms the chair’s remarks that Safaricom Sacco has a journey to walk together with Njoo Dada.

“We will seat with the management and see which other initiatives we can be able to support as a Sacco.  As responsible citizens, we should always give back to the society, because as members of a Sacco, whatever small we are giving out today, will come back in a big way,” he adds.

Njoroge encourages the Sacco members, even in their personal initiatives, to come in and support any activities, that touch and transform lives at the facility.

About Njoo Dada

Njoo Dada began in September 2014, having started at a very unstructured meeting of teenage girls just to empower them to have confidence, in Mathare. The home Director, Lunar says that the need arose when many teenage mothers appeared at her doorstep and together with a friend, they started the home.

“From there we saw the need for a special group of people who are teenage mothers. In a bid to support them, we did not think that we would start a safe house, but out of the need that was there and pressure from people we were able to start one, from a girl that we were supporting to be stable to have a home that now rescues teenage mothers,” explains Lunar.

She adds that the vision of Njoo Dada is to see teenage girls and mothers reintegrate back into the society with the skill to support themselves.

She welcomes Safaricom Sacco’s support to walk through the journey and hopes it will take miles in bring joy to the young girls.

“We are here in Waithaka but we have a big vision. In the next five to ten years we see ourselves owning a place that has a skill training centre in catering, hairdressing, and sewing so that these girls can reintegrate successfully into the society.

We are hoping that we can have our own place where we can build our own clinic, and have an empowerment centre that can host 300 girls at any time. We have big dreams for these girls, but we know it may not take a day and girls get transformed one at a time,” Lunar concludes.

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