Toto Centre Initiative

Toto Centre Initiative is a registered non-profit community organization based in Lamu County, Kenya. Our vision is to break the Social, Cultural, and Environmental barriers that limit the potential of adolescents especially Girls, Teenage mothers, and Children with disabilities by creating inclusive, equal, and empowering environments for learning and leadership.

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At Toto Centre Initiative, we are reimagining education as a platform for justice, dignity, and youth-led transformation. We work hand in hand with grassroots communities, schools, and both State and Non-state actors in Kenya to create inclusive learning spaces where every child—especially girls and marginalized adolescents—can thrive, lead, and protect their future.

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Key Programs

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Programme

Child Protection and Safeguarding

Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

Why we do what we do..!!

In Lamu County, adolescent girls, teenage mothers, and especially girls with disabilities are trapped in a cycle of poverty, early marriage, and child labor, all while facing gender-based violence. According to the Kenya National Adolescents and Youth Survey (2022), many girls drop out of school due to a lack of menstrual hygiene products and economic hardships. Despite the Free Primary Education (FPE) policy of 2003, these barriers persist, worsened by the absence of strong policies from the Lamu County government.

Thanks to the generous support from Share-Net International, we have developed the very first Lamu County SRHR Policy 2024, and with support from Irise Institute East Africa, we are creating the first-ever Period Equality Advocacy Toolkit in Kenya. These vital projects aim to raise awareness, fight for period equality, and empower girls, giving them a chance at a better future.

Your continued support can help make this change a reality.

Our Projects in Lamu County, Kenya

All
Gender Gap in Tech
The Boy Child
Menstrual hygiene in schools

Boys Empowerment

Menstrual Bracelet

Girls in ICT

Life skills

Menstrual hygiene

Commemoration

Student council election

Student Council Election

Girls in ICT

Projects

Share Net International

Implementing a knowledge activation grant aimed to develop the first Lamu County Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Policy 2024. The policy will be a strategy to addressing SRHR challenges affecting women and adolescents in Lamu County. Donor is Share-Net International

Search for Common Ground

Implemented a project named “Gender Approach Model to Addressing Violent Extremism in Lamu County”. The project aimed to apply gender approach model to ensure women and young people from the at-risk and marginalized communities are involved to discuss the drivers of violent extremism and equally propose effective community-led solutions on the same. Donor is Search for Common Ground, Kenya.

Search for common ground project

Digital Opportunity Trust

Implementing the Girls and Boys in ICT Project aimed to address gender gap in digital technology in Lamu County. Donor Digital Opportunity Trust

Girls-and-Boys-in-ICT-Project

Aces World

Implementing the Activities, Skills and Knowledge for Girls Project (ASK4Girls) Lamu County. The project aimed to empower girls with life skills and knowledge to manage their adolescence and menstrual health. Donor, Association for Community Empowerment Solutions

Keeping Children Safe

Development of Toto Centre Child Safeguarding Policy, donor Keeping Children Safe

Safaricom Foundation

Keeping Girls in School by providing them with sanitary towels and menstrual health knowledge in Lamu County. Donor: Safaricom Foundation

The kids Trial

The Kids’ Trial Project, (The Kid’s Trial is an online project by the University of Galway in Ireland created with kids for kids to learn about how we do health research. In Kenya, the project has enrolled 54 children between the ages of 7 to 12 years in public primary schools in Lamu County. For more information about the project, please visit: https://www.thekidstrial.ie/

Children with Disabilities

Project on Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in Lamu County.