POLYCOM GIRLS

Polycom Girls, formerly known as the Polycom Development Project is a Pan-African feminist women led organization based in Kenya that was started in 2004 in response to the sexual violence and exploitation faced by young girls in Kenya. We have for more than 2 decades, worked closely with schools, local education authorities and communities to improve the lives of adolescent girls and women in their diversity.
Over time, Polycom has built trusting relationships with the community, enabling us to integrate complex issues such as social injustices, child protection, GBV and SRHR into our work as well as programming. Our work is summarized under one word “G-PENDE” (which means to love yourself) thus promoting self-worthiness and appreciation among trans women, women and girls. We are keen to bridge the gap and connect local realities of women and girls in their diversity to regional/global processes and decisions.
Over the last 2 decades, we have worked with women’s rights organizations, civil societies, governments, and private sector, developing strategies, partnerships, programs, community and policy dialogues for promotion and protection of gender equality and inclusivity across the Country and in Africa.

Mission

A society of empowered women and girls that are
contributing effectively to development of their communities.

Vision

To sustainably mobilize, consolidate and amplify voices of women and girls in their diversity through collaborative activities that influence sustainable positive change/policy on issues that affect their lives.

What Make Us Unique

At Polycom Girls we believe that our unique approach in tackling community issues gives us the niche to stay relevant and at the forefront of community development.

• We are Girls and Women-Led thus providing firsthand experiences and solutions to challenges impacting the marginalized communities.

• Our approaches are community-driven. We actively and meaningfully engage girls and women in the designing, planning, implementation, and evaluation of our projects.

• As our boundary partners, we believe in their agency to solve the prevailing community challenges.

• We offer a holistic approach to empowerment in recognition that girls and women are not homogeneous, and they encounter multifaceted challenges.

• We offer customized interventions that suit unique circumstances and address contextual and localized issues.

• We collaborate and partner with like-minded partners, organizations and institutions towards enhanced impact and solidarity.

• Intergenerational leadership. We believe that young people are the leaders of today thus we intentionally nurture their talents, and skills and create opportunities for their excellence through capacity strengthening and mentorship as an act of passing the baton.

CORE VALUES

• Integrity: We conduct business in a way that is honest, transparent, ethical and accountable

• Empowerment: We empower women and girls to take control over their lives

• Collaboration: We engage with other organizations, partners, stakeholders

• Innovation: We embrace creativity, continuous improvement and change

OUR OBJECTIVES

• Ending all forms of violence against women and adolescent girls
• Ensure women and adolescent girls from urban informal settlements have knowledge on SRH and 2access the services
• Promoting women and adolescent girls’ voices in governance and leadership.
• Build awareness of business innovations that accelerate women’s empowerment and have a real impact on the quality of life for women, families and communities.
  Identify key actions to address the gaps for women and girls

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