✽ HBI at a Glance ✽
HBI's Journey of Empowerment
For over a decade, HBI has been at the forefront of youth empowerment. Through strategic partnerships with corporate organizations like Gulf African Bank, HBI facilitated sponsorship of several young people through secondary school and university from 2013.
The organization targets youth of school-going age, both in and out of school. We established a monthly pack program to provide essential items like sanitary towels, innerwear, and toiletries to ensure the dignity and well-being of school-going youth and contribute to the improvement of educational outcomes. Through this project, we supported over 50 girls in Shadrack Kimalel Pr. Sch., Nairobi, with sanitary towels, bathing and laundry soap, and panties every month for 5 years to enable them to be in class every day of the term. Access our organization profile here
Additionally, HBI began equipping youth with life skills, career mentorship, entrepreneurship skills, access to finance, and financial literacy skills to empower them to engage in income-generating activities so as to become self-reliant. We partnered with youth from Angaza Youth Foundation boys and girls in Kibera to execute all these.
Through these efforts, the organization has made great strides and achieved a significant impact on the lives of youth in Kenya.
See Testimonials here...Statistics from the Kenya Poverty Report (2022)
(Published by KNBS in 2024)
Bungoma, Nakuru, Kilifi, Turkana, Nairobi City, and Kakamega have the highest population of overall poor people, which account for 24.4% of all the poor individuals in the country (pgs. 35, 61, & 65)
Youth Overall (Absolute) Poverty
Nationally, 4 in 10 (44%) of youth aged 15-24 and two-thirds (37%) of 18-35 year-olds lived in absolute poverty. This is equivalent to 4.3 million and 5.2 million youths, respectively. There are more poor youth in rural areas (40%) than in urban areas (30%) among the 18-35 age group. (pg. 61).
Youth Hardcore Poverty
Combined expenditure on food and non-food items for 8% (770 thousand) of youth aged 15-24 & 6% (914 thousand) of 18-35 year olds, respectively, is below the food poverty line. Hardcore (extreme) poverty is higher among the rural youth (for both categories) than their urban counterparts. It is 3 times higher among youth aged 15-24 at 10% in rural areas compared to urban areas at 3% and 5 times higher for those aged 18-35 years in the same rural-urban category (pg. 61).
Youth Poverty
4 out of 10 youth in the 15-24-year category and 3 in 10 youth in the 18-35-year category were food poor in 2022, unable to meet their daily food needs. This implies that 4.0 million youth (15-24) and 4.4 million youth (18-35) are food poor. For both youth categories, food poverty is higher in rural areas (41% & 34%) than in urban areas (37% & 2%).
Overall: Nairobi, Kakamega, & Bungoma
The counties with the highest number of poor were Bungoma (4.4% of the total number of the poor), Nakuru (4.3%), Turkana (4.1%), Nairobi City (3.8%), and Kakamega (3.8%). (pg.65)
Every young person has a chance to thrive at HBI
Our Board of Management
Committed professionals advancing the mission of HBI:
Mary N. Musungu
Chairperson
Mary, the founder and chief visionary of HBI, is the driving force behind the organization. Her wealth of experience in project/ program management, corporate management, strategic planning, and management of nonprofit organizations is crucial to HBI. She holds an MBA in Strategic Management.
Gilbert A. Indanya
Treasurer
Gilbert's education and business management expertise make him a valuable asset to HBI. His experience in training, finance, and monitoring and evaluation contributes to the organization's effectiveness and sustainability. He holds an MBA in Finance.
Beth W. Kamau
Secretary
Beth's expertise in agricultural economics and research brings valuable skills to HBI. She has an MSc in Agricultural Economics from Chuka University.
Esther M. Ndeto
Member
Esther's extensive experience in education and administration makes her a valuable asset to HBI. Esther holds an MBA in Project Management from Kenyatta University and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Nairobi
Martha N. Ndukuyu
Member
Martha's expertise in policy, legislation, and diplomacy is invaluable to HBI. She has a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Studies.
Idris B. Barasa
Member
Idris, a seasoned architect with a proven track record in the construction industry, brings valuable expertise to HBI. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology
Philemon N. Moseti
Board Member
Philemon, with his expertise in agricultural economics, project management, and monitoring and evaluation, is a valuable asset to HBI. He holds an MSc in Agricultural Economics from Chuka University.
Mary N. Mngereza
Board Member
Mary's expertise in statistics and monitoring, and evaluation makes her a valuable asset to HBI. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics and Programming.
Mary N. Musungu
HBI's story began with the story of a young girl called Aurelia, Mary's neighbour, who had significant trouble accessing necessities. Inspired by and responding to the challenges faced by this girl, Mary's passion fired her on, and she founded and registered HBI to support teenage girls and out-of-school youth facing similar challenges.
This support included education empowerment, economic empowerment, life skills training, mentorship, and access to necessities such as sanitary towels, toiletries, and innerwear. Through the logistical and financial support of George Odongo, the board, and other strategic partners, HBI has been at the forefront of empowering young people and impacting their lives positively from 2011 to date.
Mary has a strong educational background with a master's degree in strategic management and certifications in project and program management, monitoring and evaluation, and non-profit management. She is dedicated to creating a better future for Kenya's youth.
