Be part of the change you want to see| VSO

Elizabeth and Regina at the VSO learning centre

Married at 11. Forced to leave school. Who is looking out for Elizabeth?

Vulnerable girls like Elizabeth, who was born into a poor family in Kenya, are in danger of a lifetime of poverty and abuse. Elizabeth was pulled out of school and forced into a violent marriage when she was only 11. By 13, she was pregnant. Who is looking out for girls like Elizabeth?

VSO mentors like Regina are a lifeline for vulnerable girls. They protect girls and help them every day with vital life skills. They give girls like Elizabeth a chance to escape danger and build a better future.

Will you stand with girls? Donate today to help empower more girls like Elizabeth with life-changing support from a VSO mentor.

VSO/Paul Wambugu

£10 a month could help provide a girl with school equipment for her catch-up classes so she can learn the essential skills to start her own business.

£15 a month could help a girl connect with a local artisan who will teach girls to work in their trade.

Paul Wambugu

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

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Paul Wambugu

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

VSO/Paul Wambugu

£25 could provide two school kits, including a school bag, pencil, ruler and a notebook so girls are equipped to learn.

£50 could help equip a girl with start-up equipment like sewing machines, hairdryers, or carpentry tools.

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Two women and a young girl with a baby on her lap — Elizabeth with her teacher Rael Nyahiri  (left) and her mentor Regina (right).

Regina and Elizabeth - a story of hope

Regina, a dedicated VSO mentor, is a lifeline for vulnerable girls like Elizabeth, who face violence at home and extreme poverty. Regina's passion for helping vulnerable girls led her to join VSO, where she is making a tangible difference in the lives of girls at risk of a lifetime of poverty and abuse.

Elizabeth's story is one of resilience and hope. At just 11, she was forced into marriage and soon after became a mother. She was forced out of school and underwent FGM (female genital mutilation).

Regina stepped in to help Elizabeth reclaim her education and build essential life skills. "I have helped her learn the basics, like how to cook and wash her clothes," says Regina. Beyond these practical skills, Regina has seen Elizabeth grow in confidence and capability. Elizabeth can now read well enough to follow her baby's medicine instructions, a crucial skill that helps keep her daughter safe.

Regina's support has been life-changing for Elizabeth, who is now a student at VSO's catch-up centre. She now has the chance for a better future and dreams of opening her own small grocery shop to provide a better future for her baby.

Many more girls like Elizabeth need the support of a VSO mentor to escape the dangers they face. Will you stand with vulnerable girls? Donate today and help empower more girls with dedicated mentors like Regina.

Donate now

In the future I want to have my own small business – a grocery shop. I will sell tomatoes and green vegetables and make enough money to buy soap to wash myself and my clothes. This will make me happy.

Elizabeth

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