Imarisha Msichana programme documentary

This brief documentary follows the Imarisha Msichana programme, which helps teenage mothers in Kenya return to school and reclaim their futures.

This short film tells the story of Imarisha Msichana, a programme run by the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Kenya. Through interviews with girls, teachers, parents and programme staff across several counties, it follows how communities responded to a sharp rise in teenage pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how girls are now finding their way back into education.

Imarisha Msichana ran for two years, from September 2022 to February 2025, across 20 counties in Kenya. It was set up after school closures during the pandemic left many girls without support or supervision. Some counties, such as Machakos, reported thousands of pregnancies among adolescent girls within months of schools shutting.

The programme combined school-based advocacy clubs, community and parent sensitisation, and direct support such as school fees, sanitary products and psychosocial counselling for teen mothers and their families. It also engaged boys and men as allies, for example by training boda boda riders and young men to champion girls' rights, and contributed to new county-level laws on gender-based violence.

By its two-year mark, the programme had helped over 5,200 girls return to school, and digitising club content had extended its reach to thousands more learners beyond direct participants.

This resource is from the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), an organisation working to promote gender equity and equality in education across Africa.

Key messages

• This documentary follows the Imarisha Msichana programme through the voices of girls, teachers, parents and staff. Imarisha Msichana worked across 20 counties in Kenya to support the return of teenage mothers to school following a rise in pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The programme combined advocacy clubs in schools, community and parent sensitisation, and direct support such as school fees, sanitary products and counselling. It also actively engaged boys and men as allies, training them to champion girls' rights and challenge harmful gender stereotypes.
• Over 5,200 girls returned to school through the programme within its first two years, with 153 supported through scholarships in a single year. The programme also contributed to new gender-related policies in 14 of the 20 counties where it operated.