Be part of the change you want to see| VSO

Young woman with two children and a baby on her lap

Will you help children build brighter futures?

Amina's childhood shouldn't be stolen like her mother Jane's. Extreme poverty forced Jane into marriage at 13, robbing her of her education and dreams. Now, Jane is fighting to break this cycle for her daughter.

Education is the best chance a young mother has to protect her children. At VSO’s learning centres, Jane is learning the skills she needs to break the cycle of poverty and protect her daughter from the same fate.

But there are thousands of young mothers we still need to urgently reach. Donate today to give children and their mothers a brighter future. Every penny donated makes a difference.

VSO/Paul Wambugu

£10 a month could help provide a young mother with school equipment for her catch-up classes, helping her learn essential skills to start her own business.

£15 a month could help a young mother connect with a local artisan who will teach her to work in their trade.

Paul Wambugu

£25 a month could help volunteers work with families to enable young mothers to go back into education.

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Paul Wambugu

£15 could help VSO volunteers train teachers to provide engaging classes for young mothers at the catch-up centres.

VSO/Paul Wambugu

£25 could help provide two school kits for a young mother like Jane, so she can finish her education and support her family.

£50 could help a young mother with the tools needed to start a business, so she can provide for herself and her children.

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Young woman with two children and a baby. — Jane and her three children.

Help girls in Kenya who are being robbed of their childhoods

Jane* loved school but was forced to leave and marry at 13, sacrificing her childhood for the dowry her family needed. Now, she’s determined to protect her daughter Amina from the same fate. Without education, breaking the cycle of poverty and protecting Amina is nearly impossible.

Attending VSO’s learning centres has been a lifeline for Jane.
The centres are open three days a week to girls aged 10-19 and VSO teachers help them catch up on their learning. Here, Jane is learning vital skills like multiplication, subtraction and addition. Each girl is also paired with a VSO mentor who helps them navigate challenges at home and supports and encourages them with their studies. These mentors are local women who have often had similar experiences to the girls and understand the dangers of early marriage and a lack of education.

Jane’s VSO Mentor, Hellen, is a vital source of support and inspiration.
Her VSO mentor, Hellen, supports Jane every step of the way, often looking after Jane’s children so she can focus on her studies.

Without VSO, the cycle of poverty would continue, and Amina would be at risk of child marriage and early pregnancy. Your gift will help young mothers like Jane build better futures for their children. Please donate today.

Donate now

*Pseudonyms have been used to protect identities.

On my first day there I felt good because I knew I would get an education and then I could get my own sewing machine or open my own small business."

Jane

Here is how every £1 is spent

For every £1 raised, 85p goes towards tackling poverty and 15p towards raising the next £1

We value every gift that you give, and will always put it straight to work as quickly as we can. In 2023-24, 85p of every £1 you gave went directly towards tackling poverty worldwide.15p was spent on the day-to-day running of the charity and raising the next £1 so that we can help even more people this year.

Our promise to you

It's important to us that you feel completely confident and comfortable in supporting VSO. As part of our promise to you:

We will always treat your personal information with the strictest confidence.
We will be transparent with how your donations are spent.
We will always be in control of your support

Read our full promise