There she learnt about the Badilisha Project based in Kenya. A project for girls and women who live in the second largest and most impoverished slum neighbourhood in Nairobi, synonymous with overcrowding and basic housing conditions. The dedicated Badilisha staff support vulnerable girls and women who engage in commercial sex work, often due to various social justice and economic reasons. With no formal education a number of the women struggle with daily life. Commercial sex work for many is not a lifestyle choice, but a way of survival. Simply put trying to live and feed their families! These girls and women face marginalisation and stigmatisation from their communities, which inhibit their ability to access education, employment and sustainable income. What they really need is the polar opposite of judgment and condemnation; they need unconditional acceptance and empathy, which are foundational principals of the person-centred approach, leading to therapeutic growth and change. Those working with the girls and women are authentic and congruent in themselves to walk and work alongside them with gentleness and acceptance. Encountering the women at a human level that positively changes and enhances the way of being for both within the relationship. “The BADILISHA Women’s Project aims to offer these women a new lease on life by providing a path away from prostitution. The project offers hope, helping them transition into dignified, sustainable livelihoods through skills training, empowerment, and rehabilitation. By providing alternative sources of income and a shift in mindset, the BADILISHA Women’s Project enables these women to embrace new opportunities for personal growth and economic independence. The project creates a platform for women to rebuild their self-esteem and take ownership of their futures, focusing on raising their children with dignity and securing a better future for themselves and their families.” (Badilisha Project Evaluation, 24/3/25). Ultimately, these girls and women are using their autonomy to empower themselves, developing their skills in a transformative way to become self-sustaining and self-determining. A colleague from NTU alongside the director and project officer from the Badilisha Project (Kenya) recently met with colleagues from the UoN centre for research in human flourishing to speak about the project, and discuss potential ways for collaboration, including opportunities for knowledge exchange in relation to counselling, education and human flourishing. The learning for the CRHF lies in how the project embodies a holistic way of being—one that extends beyond the therapy – and class – room. It is my hope that any collaboration will bring huge benefit to the lives of the most vulnerable within our societies, UK and Kenya, and have real lasting generational impact upon the women their children and young people caught up in commercial sex work. Evidence shows that when presented with appropriate opportunities, therapeutic support and resources the girls and women experience change, growth and transformation. It is hoped that with an ongoing injection of resources such as counselling and education, the lives of all the girls and women accessing the Badilisha project will be changed for the better. I have recently been informed that the way of being for these ladies is changing externally as well as internally. They are presenting themselves differently in their appearance, and as we know appearance goes a long way to helping us feel good about ourselves. As such I would like to support them practically in this initiative. I am contemplating the idea of sending over some items of clothing including much needed undergarments, of good quality and appearance to the project. I still need to undertake further research into the viability of this, however, if you would like to consider assisting/collaborating with me in this endeavor please do get in touch at e:andrea.williams@nottingham.ac.uk