When Faith and Winnie first joined Mwelu Foundation's Young Leaders sessions, public speaking was just something they did for fun on the walk home from school. Now they've traded that walk for a road trip — to the Kenya National Music Festival nationals in July.

The two girls, both from different schools in Mathare, discovered how far their shared love of music could go inside the mentorship space of Young Leaders. Weekly sessions built more than their voices — they built discipline, teamwork and self-belief, and the girls carried that same spirit into every rehearsal, tightening every note until it was ready for a much bigger stage than the one back home.

Their journey to nationals didn't happen overnight. It took months of practice, an unshakeable belief in each other, and mentors who kept reminding them that talent from Mathare belongs anywhere in the country. Standing among some of Kenya's finest young performers, Faith and Winnie proved exactly that.

“We used to just practice quietly at the back,” Winnie says, laughing. “Now we know our voices are loud enough for the whole country to hear.”

For Mwelu, their story is a reminder of what happens when young people are simply given room to grow: they don't just find their voice. They take it all the way to the top.