Stories

COMMUNITY STORY · 1 MAY 2020

Life Skills Open a New Door for Arami

For Arami Nampaso, learning to write her own name became a quiet but powerful expression of confidence and independence.

Arami lives in Olkimitare village and is a member of the Olkimitare Community Managed Savings Group. During the COVID-19 crisis, Basecamp Foundation Kenya reached programme participants with food and sanitation supplies as many households faced severe pressure on their livelihoods.

When the outreach team arrived in Olkimitare, Arami welcomed them warmly. At registration, she asked to write her own name rather than have someone do it for her.

“I was taught how to write during our CMSG life-skills sessions. Let me write my own name on the registration list.”

Basic literacy forms part of the life-skills learning offered through the savings groups. For women who did not have an opportunity to attend school, learning to recognise and write names can strengthen confidence and participation in group activities.

Arami’s achievement was simple, personal and deeply meaningful—a reminder that practical learning can create dignity and agency in everyday moments.