CFK Africa, an international nonprofit that empowers youth in 26 slums across East Africa, has announced that it received a grant from the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation to launch a new initiative called Women at Work.
The program will provide women in Kenya’s slums with valuable training to develop critical job skills often found in higher-paying, male-dominated fields.
The program, set to launch in early 2026, will support teen mothers and other women living in informal settlements in Kenya in learning skills such as plumbing, electrical work, and auto mechanics alongside Master Craftswomen, skilled women in their trade.
These careers tend to pay more but are usually not accessible to girls and young women because of gender stereotypes and stigma.
“The best way to learn a job is by doing it,” said CFK Africa chief executive officer Jeffrey Okoro. “By pairing these young women with experienced women mentors in their fields, we can build the next generation of skilled women workers.”
Women at Work builds on the success of CFK Africa’s TechCraft program, launched last year to boost the earning potential of young people in Kibera and other slums through job training.
The new effort will be piloted across five slums in Kenya with 80 young women, including teenage mothers. Participants will receive training in technical and vocational skills, work directly with Master Craftswomen mentors, and receive assistance in finding jobs in related fields to build a more secure future.
The Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation is supporting the program through its International Initiative, which aims to advance opportunity, equity, and well-being for women and girls in developing countries by helping them overcome hardship, reach their full potential, and support their families and communities to flourish.
“When it comes to vocational skills, there is no better teacher than an experienced worker and no better education than a job,” added Okoro. “Through hands-on training, this new program aims to empower young women by creating opportunities for long-term economic security.”
