Mission Relief’s Unique Women-Only Deployment: Empowering and Connecting Women and Girls in Kenya and the UK

In June 2025, Mission Relief carried out a landmark women-only deployment across Kenya, marking a significant step in our ongoing commitment to empowering women and girls. Supported by Sophie, Mission Relief’s Women’s Hygiene Representative, the deployment focused on dignity, education, and female-led humanitarian action.

The team travelled through Garissa County, Tana River County, and Mombasa County, delivering critical aid and community projects designed to uplift and inspire women across these regions.

Reaching Women with Compassion and Purpose

Throughout the deployment, the all-female team distributed zakat, food parcels, and women’s hygiene packs, and provided hot meals for orphaned children. Each activity reflected Mission Relief’s belief that empowering women strengthens entire communities.

The focus on women’s health and dignity was at the heart of this campaign. In the village of Jenya, hygiene kits were distributed to school girls, enabling them to continue their education without interruption caused by period poverty.

Breaking the Cycle of Period Poverty

The team held educational sessions on reproductive health, the menstrual cycle, and hygiene, helping young girls understand and manage their wellbeing confidently. They also offered a hands-on demonstration on how to use and care for reusable menstrual pads to ensure they last as long as possible.

Each hygiene kit contained six reusable pads manufactured by Mission Relief, along with pants, a razor, soap, and a wash bag. With careful use, these pads can last up to three years, making each £10 donation a lasting investment in a young girl’s education and dignity.

Sustainable Change Through Clean Water

During the deployment, the team celebrated the opening of a new water well, providing clean and safe water to a rural Kenyan community. The well was officially opened by a mother and daughter duo who had travelled on deployment together, symbolising the intergenerational power of women in humanitarian service.

Beside the well, a banana tree was planted to make sure no water was wasted. Overflowing water nourishes the growing tree, which in turn provides fruit and sustenance for the local community, further providing stability and self-reliance for the community. 

Sharing Joy with Orphaned Girls

The sisters also visited a girls’ orphanage, where they spent the day playing, distributing sweets, and sharing moments of warmth and connection. They also provided nutritious dinners, bringing comfort and joy to the children.

These visits highlighted the power of female-led outreach, where empathy and understanding create a unique bond between volunteers and the communities they serve.

Voices from the Field

Fatima, one of the volunteers on the women-only deployment, shared her reflection on the experience:

“Compared to my experiences in refugee camps in Jordan and seeing the impact of war, I wanted to understand what poverty looks like without conflict. The people of Africa are so lovely and welcoming, even though they have so little.

This was my first ever female-only deployment. I haven’t come across that before, and it was refreshing to be myself among the women. With the period poverty campaign, it felt right that we, as women, were the ones educating young girls who go through it. Who can teach them better if not us?”

Her words captured both the spirit and aim of the deployment: compassion, sisterhood, purpose and creating a space for women to be involved in the deployment space in comfort and security, surrounded by fellow women.

Continuing the Mission

Mission Relief remains dedicated to ensuring that women and girls across Kenya and beyond have access to education, healthcare, and dignity. Our sisters’ deployment demonstrated how empowering women through faith and action can create a ripple effect of change within entire communities. But more work needs to be done and there are many vulnerable communities in Kenya where girls and women still don’t have access to women’s hygiene packs, preventing them from taking part in society, getting an education or generating an income. Your £10 can make all the difference in changing a girl’s life. 

Missed the deployment and looking for the next sister’s only deployment? Check our deployment page for the latest information. 

Quick Donate

Join our newsletter to stay up-to date.

Join our subscribers list to get the latest news, update specials offers and delivered directly in your inbox.

You have been successfully Subscribed! Ops! Something went wrong, please try again.

© Mission Relief 2024, All Rights Reserved Charity Number: 1198325