🌸 Women’s Healing and Empowerment Conference 2026 🌸

In celebration of International Women’s Day, you are warmly invited to a two-day transformational conference dedicated to women who have endured and overcome the silent storms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) — at home, in the community, or the workplace.

Join us in a safe and nurturing space where healing meets empowerment. Through inspiring sessions, personal reflection, and guided work plans, survivors will rediscover their voices, rebuild self-worth, and rise with purpose.

👩‍🏫 Host:

Prof. Jostinah Wawasi Mwang’ombe, OGW, SSP, MEcon, SGBV-I Trainer
Certified Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Instructors Trainer
Harbor Heritage University & Federation of International Gender and Human Rights

🎙️ Facilitators:

• Ms. Lilian Kendi
• Mr. Elijah Chege – Amani Counseling Centre

💠 Special Feature: “The Phoenix Circle”

A dedicated women’s support space for one-on-one healing conversations, shared experiences, and mentoring circles — designed to help survivors find connection, renewal, and strength.

🎁 Conference Package:

• Meals and all conference materials — fully sponsored
• Accommodation and transport — attendee sponsored

To make attendance affordable, a discounted accommodation package of Ksh 1,000 per night is available for the first 50 participants.

🌱 Post-Conference Support:

All participants will engage in a three-month online follow-up mentorship program (1-hour sessions every Saturday) to continue their healing and growth journey.

📅 Event Details:

Friday–Saturday, March 2026
📍 Shanzu Probation Hostel, Mombasa, Kenya

💖 Come, heal, and rise again — because she heals, she leads, she shines.

Graduation of Cohort 2/2025 was a colourful and memorable event held on Saturday, 15th November 2025 at 7:00 PM (Kenya Time).

The auspicious occasion was graced by:

• H.E Dr. Ameena Ali, PhD — Founder of the Federation of International Gender and Human Rights (FIGHR) and the Training/Certification Institution Harbor Heritage University (HHU-USA)
• Ms. Lisa Jones, PMHA — Founder & CEO, Global Goodwill Ambassadors Foundation

The participants successfully completed a rigorous and transformative course leading to their certification as:

• Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Instructors
• Human Rights Advocates in Crisis
• Cross-Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Advocates

They are now the newest Champions and Advocates against SGBV in the communities they serve — empowered, equipped, and ready to create meaningful impact.

📘 Course Professor

Prof. Jostinah Wawasi Mwang’ombe, OGW, SSP, MEcon, SGBV-I Trainer

Congratulations to all graduates of Cohort 2/2025! 👏
Continue shining, serving, and transforming your communities.

Shimo Borstal Institution and Boys Education Centre continues to strengthen its rehabilitation and skills development programs through meaningful partnerships. One such collaboration is with St John’s Ambulance, whose commitment to training, safety, and community service has had a significant impact on both our staff and boys.

🚑 Basic First Aid Training for 200 Boys

In September and October 2025, St John’s Ambulance delivered Basic First Aid Training to 200 boys at the institution. The training included foundational emergency response skills such as handling injuries, bleeding control, CPR principles, and personal safety awareness.

These skills not only improve safety within the institution but also provide the boys with practical knowledge useful for reintegration and future opportunities.

🎓 Staff Capacity Building Through TOT Sponsorship

In November 2025, St John’s Ambulance fully sponsored a staff member to attend an intensive Training of Trainers (TOT) program held from 23rd–29th November at the Shanzu Probation Hostel.

This program boosts internal capacity, enabling the institution to continue offering structured First Aid training independently in the future.

🤝 Partnership Recognition & Collaboration

Leadership from St John’s Ambulance—including Chancellor Dr. Gome David Lenga, CEO Dr. Robert Mutula, MBS, and Regional Council Chair Mr. Joshua Kenga—acknowledged the institution’s support through the Brass Band Team, which has played during several of their official parades.

In turn, their gesture of training 200 boys free of charge highlights the strength of this partnership.

🏅 Leadership Recognition

The Superintendent in Charge, Prof. Jostinah Wawasi Mwang’ombe, OGW, SSP, was honored as a Keynote Speaker on “Human Rights in Crisis” during the program’s opening ceremony. She also received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Chancellor during the closing event.

🌱 A Partnership Creating Impact

The collaboration with St John’s Ambulance continues to enhance the institution’s rehabilitative approach—building skills, confidence, and preparedness among the boys, while strengthening stakeholder relationships that support long-term transformation.

“Partnerships that build skills and dignity pave the way for safer, stronger futures.”

Prof. Jostinah Wawasi Mwang’ombe OGW, SSP, MEcon, CPA (ICAK), SGBV-I Trainer concluded the year 2025 with a powerful expression of gratitude, service, and community appreciation — choosing to give back to her staff, clients, and the wider community through meaningful and sustainable impact.

This cross-over gift was anchored in the establishment and activation of a structured, registered community-based organisation known as Iron Sharpens Iron Mama Africa CBO (ISIMAI) — an initiative designed to transform lives while shining hope through targeted programs in mentorship, psychosocial support, peacebuilding, and social empowerment.

⚽ Community Action at the Superintendent in Charge Tournament

On 30th December 2025, the Executive Committee and entire membership of Iron Sharpens Iron Mama Africa CBO participated both in kind and in person during the Superintendent in Charge Tournament Finals held at Shimo Borstal Institution and Boys Education Centre.

Their contributions included:

• Donation of trophies for the tournament
• Support for printing and branding materials
• Provision of snacks for all children — staff families and institutional clients

🏆 Celebrating Global Recognition Through Local Impact

This act of service came at a significant moment, as Prof. Jostinah celebrated her prestigious international recognition as a Peace Award Winner 2025 by the International College of Peace Studies, Karen — Nairobi, Kenya.

Rather than centering the award on personal celebration, she intentionally chose to translate this global honour into tangible community benefit, reinforcing her belief that peace and leadership must be lived, shared, and demonstrated through action.

🌍 Commitment to Peaceful Coexistence

Members of Iron Sharpens Iron Mama Africa CBO expressed strong commitment and enthusiasm to walk alongside Prof. Jostinah in her daily online and offline initiatives, supporting peaceful coexistence, healing, and upliftment of lives across Africa and beyond.

🎶 Mama the Brand — A Year-End Celebration

“Mama the Brand”, her widely embraced campaign identity, became the household name as staff, inmates, families, and partners wrapped up the year with song, dance, joy, and a sumptuous shared meal.

The celebration symbolized unity, gratitude, and hope — a fitting close to a year defined by service, compassion, and impact.

🤝 Appreciation

Sincere appreciation is extended to:

• Iron Sharpens Iron Mama Africa CBO members
• KCB Bank
• St John Ambulance
• Individual philanthropists and friends

Your collective goodwill and partnership made this cross-over gift possible and reaffirmed the power of collaboration in building peaceful, resilient communities.

“Peace is not celebrated in words alone — it is sustained through service.”

🌍 Gratitude. Service. Peace. Community.

Under the 2025 Theme: “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls,” Shimo Borstal Institution and Boys Education Centre participated in the 16 Days of Activism against GBV across various internal and external forums, running from 25th November to 10th December 2025.

The Superintendent in charge, Prof Jostinah Mwang'ombe, OGW, SSP, MEcon, SGBV-I Trainer, took part in panel discussions as a keynote speaker and trainer during these engagements.

Her empowerment message throughout the campaign emphasized that:

SGBV Prevention Is a Safety And Common Good Practice That Supports Peaceful Coexistence In The Society.

👥 Men’s Engagement & Faith-Based Forums

One key activity involved 14 staff participating in the Men's Engagement Forum at Khadija Primary School, alongside religious-based sensitisation sessions with the ACK Diocese of Mombasa.

👦 Empowering Boys Through Expert Dialogues

Boys at the institution were also engaged by various gender experts and advocates of non-violence, who addressed issues around masculinity, respect, peaceful behaviour, and GBV prevention.

🏛️ KNCHR Human Rights Day Forum – 10th December

On Wednesday, 10th December, staff joined practitioners in Mombasa Town for the closing of the 16 Days campaign at the KNCHR boardroom, coinciding with the celebration of Human Rights Day 2025 under the theme:

“Our Everyday Essentials.”

🤝 Our Ongoing Commitment

We remain committed to engagements with like-minded partners in the protection of children in conflict with the law and in advancing their rights and freedoms.

💕 HAPPY HUMAN RIGHTS DAY!
ZERO TOLERANCE TO INSTITUTIONALISED GBV.

Under the Iron Sharpens Iron Mama Africa Initiative (ISIMAI) — 3rd October, 2025

I am honored to announce the official launch of The Dorcas Basket Initiative, a program inspired by love, compassion, and legacy. This initiative is dedicated to uplifting widows, widowers, and vulnerable children within our communities by offering practical support, empowerment, and a renewed sense of hope.

The Dorcas Basket Initiative is named in the spirit of Dorcas (Tabitha) from the Bible, a woman remembered for her kindness, generosity, and good works. Guided by this model of service, the program will provide:

1. Care packages and essential supplies for vulnerable households.
2. Empowerment workshops and skills training for widows and widowers.
3. Educational and psychosocial support for vulnerable children.
4. Community-driven interventions rooted in dignity, resilience, and sustainability.

This initiative is launched in memory of my beloved MOTHER (RIP), whose life embodied strength, kindness, and service. Through her legacy, we commit to bringing light, comfort, and empowerment to those facing loss and hardship.

The Dorcas Basket Initiative 🧺 is a program of the Iron Sharpens Iron Mama Africa Initiative (ISIMAI), spearheaded by Prof. Jostinah Wawasi Mwang’ombe, OGW.

Together, let us spread love, restore dignity, and carry forward a legacy of care.

Parting Shot: “Her works bring her praise at the city gate.” — Proverbs 31:31

I am deeply honoured and humbled to have received the International Peace Award 2025 and the Humanitarian Leadership Award during a graduation ceremony at the International College of Peace Studies.

This recognition is not merely a personal achievement, but a reflection of a collective journey of service, resilience, and peacebuilding — particularly within institutions of correction, rehabilitation, and protection.

🌍 Leadership Rooted in Service

My professional journey has been shaped by working in complex environments where brokenness and hope coexist. I have learned that true resilience is not the absence of pain, but the courage to rise with purpose despite adversity.

At Shimo La Tewa Borstal Institution and Boys Education Centre, we continue to demonstrate that peace is practical — built daily through dignity, discipline, education, and compassionate leadership.

“Peace is no longer an abstract ideal. It is deliberate. It is built daily, often in the most unlikely places.”

🛡️ Survivor-Centred Justice & Compassionate Leadership

As a Certified Trainer and Advocate in Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Prevention and Response, my work remains grounded in survivor-centred, trauma-informed, and empathetic justice.

Peace cannot be sustained if it excludes the wounded. Leadership cannot be authentic if it lacks compassion. These principles continue to guide both my personal mission and institutional leadership.

🎓 Message to Emerging Leaders

To the graduands and young professionals: the world will test your values before it tests your skills. Choose integrity when compromise is easier. Choose service when recognition is absent. Choose courage when silence feels safer.

🙏 Gratitude & Dedication

I am sincerely grateful to the leadership of the International College of Peace Studies for recognising service grounded in impact rather than titles.

I dedicate this honour to every frontline officer, every counsellor, every caregiver, every survivor, and every young person who still believes that justice, healing, and peace are possible.

“May we continue to navigate complexity with wisdom and build resilience with humanity — remaining instruments of peace.”

Forever Grateful ✌️
Prof. Jostinah Wawasi Mwang’ombe, OGW, SSP, MEcon, SGBV-I Trainer

I took the SGBV Prevention gospel to teenage boys aged 12–15 years in Nyali under an organisation called Tembea Na Rehema (www.tembeanarehema.org).

Their KITO Program seeks to mentor boys during the long holiday and keep them away from crime, negative peer pressure, and drug abuse.

These boys are drawn from the slums neighbouring Nyali — Kongowea, Kisumu Ndogo, and Maweni — areas that have witnessed high cases of:

• Boys defiling fellow boys (Unnatural Offence under the Penal Code)
• Boys defiling girls (Defilement offenses)

I carried the prevention message with hope of helping reduce this prevalence.

📚 The Talk Covered Key Human Development Theories:

• Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory — especially adolescence (12–18 yrs)
• Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
• Research on brain development and adolescence in relation to children in conflict with the law

📖 Faith-Based Teachings

Biblical and Quranic teachings and stories were used to illustrate real-life experiences and model resilience in avoiding crime, negative peers, and drug abuse.

Let’s keep empowering our boys — they are our future men, leaders, and protectors. 💙

Theme: Creativity, Safety and Dignity for Every Child
Target Group: Children, Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers

The first edition of Fusion Fest brought together colour, music, and imagination in one powerful celebration of children’s creativity and protection. The event highlighted the incredible potential of young artists to express their stories, dreams, and emotions through art, while also raising awareness on the importance of safety and dignity for every child.

🌟 Speech by Prof. Jostinah Wawasi Mwang’ombe, OGW, SSP, MEcon, SGBV-I Trainer

“It gives me great joy to be here today, surrounded by bright smiles, colourful art, and the beautiful sounds of laughter and imagination. Today is a celebration — a celebration of creativity, talent, and hope. Every drawing, every dance, every song reminds us that when children are loved, protected, and given space to express themselves, they blossom.”

Prof. Jostinah emphasized that art is more than expression — it is healing, awareness, and empowerment. She reminded children that their voices matter, and encouraged them never to be afraid to speak up and share their stories.

💬 Call to Action

A) To Our Dear Children:
Always remember, your body belongs to you. If anyone ever makes you uncomfortable, speak up — tell your parent, teacher, or any trusted adult. You are not alone, and it is never your fault if someone hurts you.

B) To Parents and Caregivers:
Be your child’s first protector. Listen, believe, and create safe spaces for open conversations. Prevention begins at home — in the way we communicate, correct, and model respect. Teach our boys that strength is kindness, and our girls that their voices are power.

C) To Teachers and Community Leaders:
Use art as a bridge — a way to heal trauma, teach empathy, and raise awareness on child protection and gender-based violence prevention. A paintbrush, a poem, or a song can change hearts — and changed hearts can transform communities.

✨ Mama the Brand Parting Shot

“Children, always remember this: You are precious. You are powerful. You are loved. The future of Kenya and the world shines through your creativity, your courage, and your kindness.”

🤝 Commitment

Let us work together — parents, caregivers, and the community — to make our homes and schools places where every child is safe, heard, and free to shine.

“Thank you, and may your colours always stay bright! Enjoy the Fusion Fest 🥂😊”

The Correctional Service Week (CSW) 2025, which happens yearly and this being its third consecutive edition, came to a graceful close with a grand Awards Gala Dinner held at The Edge Hotel. The event was graced by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, EGH, and the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Correctional Services, Dr. Salome Wairimu Muhia-Beacco, CBS.

In his keynote address, the Cabinet Secretary lauded the dedication, integrity, and professionalism of officers serving across the correctional services. He highlighted that the continued excellence and innovation demonstrated by officers are the backbone of transformation within the correctional sector.

The evening’s highlight was the Awards Ceremony, where exemplary officers and teams were recognized for their outstanding achievements in service delivery, innovation, environmental conservation, and teamwork.

Distinguished guests in attendance included the Principal Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs, Ms. Aurelia Rono, and the Principal Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development, Dr. Jane Imbunya, among other senior officials, partners, and delegates from both local and international institutions.

The event was a fitting finale to a week filled with learning, collaboration, and reflection, held under the theme “Efficient Service Delivery for the Common Good.”

✨ A Proud Moment of Honor

I am deeply humbled and grateful to have received the Cabinet Secretary Excellence Award 2025 — an award celebrating excellence and innovation in service.

Receiving this recognition as the Best Overall Correction Officer is a testament to the power of teamwork, dedication, and divine grace. My heartfelt gratitude goes to God Almighty and the special people who continually support, inspire, and walk this journey with us.

💖 MAMA THE BRAND

Prof. Jostinah Wawasi Mwang’ombe, OGW, SSP, MEcon, SGBV-I Trainer

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