From Survivor to Self-Reliance: How WADADIA Is Helping Women Rebuild Their Lives After Gender-Based Violence.

For many survivors of gender-based violence, healing is not a single event it is a journey that requires safety, emotional support, opportunity and hope.

At WADADIA, we believe that true recovery extends beyond crisis response. It means helping women regain confidence, restore relationships where appropriate, develop new skills and achieve financial independence.

Twenty-three-year-old Nasambu, a mother of two from Nasego Village in Bungoma County, is one of the women rebuilding her future through WADADIA’s rehabilitation and reintegration programme.

Following her experience of gender-based violence, Nasambu enrolled in WADADIA’s psychosocial support programme, where she has received professional counselling to help process trauma and rebuild emotional wellbeing. Recognising that healing often involves the wider family, WADADIA also facilitated counselling sessions involving her spouse, creating opportunities for dialogue, understanding and stronger support throughout her recovery journey.

Today, Nasambu is pursuing vocational training in hairdressing at WADADIA’s Mumias Vocational Skills Centre. Alongside her technical training, she is gaining practical knowledge in financial literacy, digital literacy and entrepreneurship essential tools that will enable her to build a sustainable livelihood and provide for her children.

This holistic model reflects the vision of WADADIA Founder and Lead Director Habiba Mohamed, who has consistently championed programmes that integrate mental health, psychosocial support, skills development and economic empowerment. Under her leadership, WADADIA continues to invest in approaches that recognise women’s resilience while addressing the barriers that prevent them from achieving lasting recovery.

Every woman who walks through WADADIA’s doors carries a different story, but the goal remains the same: to ensure that no survivor is defined by violence.

By combining counselling, vocational skills training, financial capability and community support, WADADIA is helping women like Nasambu rebuild not only their livelihoods but also their confidence, dignity and aspirations.

Because when women are equipped with the tools to earn, lead and make their own choices, families become stronger, communities become more resilient and cycles of violence are more likely to be broken.

At WADADIA, we believe every woman deserves not only to heal but to thrive. 🌿💜