What makes Noeli’s approach different is her commitment to supporting both primary and secondary survivors of FGM and child marriage through mental health and psychosocial support. She believes healing is just as important as prevention. Alongside advocacy and rescue, she creates spaces where survivors can process their experiences, rebuild their confidence, and find hope again.
Honesty, accountability, integrity, and compassion guide everything she does. To Noeli, sisterhood means “a sister in my shoe with a tool for my survival and success.” She believes women become stronger when they heal together, learn from one another, and stand together in protecting the next generation.
She sees the Sister to Sister Initiative as a safe space where frontline women human rights defenders can share experiences, heal, learn, and remind one another that they are not alone. She values the initiative’s commitment to recognising women’s leadership, supporting protection efforts, and prioritising the mental well-being of women working on the frontlines.
Speaking about her community, Noeli describes the Pokot people as deeply rooted in culture, family, resilience, and respect for elders. While practices such as FGM, child marriage, and unequal access to education have harmed many girls, she believes these do not define her community. She has seen attitudes begin to change, proving that culture can evolve while preserving identity and dignity.
Looking ahead, Noeli dreams of building a safe centre for indigenous Pokot girls where they can find protection, education, mentorship, and every opportunity to realise their full potential. She also hopes to see families fully embrace girls’ rights to education, protection, and the freedom to make their own choices.
To leaders and the global community, her message is simple but urgent:
“Please, listen to the voices of survivors. Let them reinvent ways to protect the next generation.”
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