Vision
Our Vision
An Africa where every woman and young person has the opportunity, support and leadership platform necessary to achieve their full potential.
HCF About Us
About the Foundation
An institution built for longevity.
Founded in 2026 and formally launched at the Founding Gala in Nairobi, convened under the stewardship of Hon. Harriette Chiggai, Kenya's President's Advisor on Women's Rights.
Our History
From an idea to an institution.
Founded in 2026 and formally launched at the Founding Gala in Nairobi, convened under the stewardship of Hon. Harriette Chiggai — Kenya's President's Advisor on Women's Rights. It is constituted as an independently governed, female-driven institution, established to close the gap between what evidence shows works for women's economic and leadership advancement, and what actually gets funded, scaled and adopted into policy.
2026
Foundation
The Harriette Chiggai Foundation is constituted as an independently governed institution.
2026
Founding Gala — Nairobi
Formal launch convened under the stewardship of the President's Advisor on Women's Rights.
Year 1
Programme delivery begins
All three pillars operating with defined cohorts, under a seated Board with its full committee structure.
Year 3
Financial independence
The Harriette Chiggai Fund capitalised to cover core operating costs.
Vision & Mission
Why we exist, and how.
Mission
Our Mission
To build a financially self-sustaining, female-led institution that empowers women, youth and communities through economic empowerment, technology and education; anchored in evidence and accountable to the women it serves.
Core Values
The values that guide us.
Evidence-based
Decisions and advocacy grounded in rigorous data, not assumption.
Female-driven governance
Led and governed by women at every level.
Financial independence
Built to reduce donor dependence, not extend it.
Accountability
To the women and communities the Foundation serves.
Partnership over duplication
Working alongside government and institutions, not apart from them.
Objectives
Institutional objectives.
Deliver economic empowerment, technology and education programming across Kenya, with a continental Africa mandate.
Build and publish the Women, Peace & Security evidence platform, methodologically aligned with the Ibrahim Index of African Governance.
Capitalise the Harriette Chiggai Fund so it covers core operating costs by Year 3.
Constitute a female-driven, diverse Board of Trustees with Investment, Programmes, and Audit & Risk committees.
Structure
Organisational structure.
Board of Trustees
Sets the Fund mandate, approves major ventures, and oversees the three committees.
Investment Committee
Governs the Harriette Chiggai Fund.
Programmes Committee
Oversees the three delivery pillars and the flagship platform.
Audit & Risk Committee
Financial oversight and accountability.
Secretariat
Led by the CEO and Executive Director; day-to-day delivery.
Board & Leadership
Board of Trustees and management team.
Hon. Harriette Chiggai
Founder & Chair
President's Advisor on Women's Rights, Republic of Kenya; Advocate of the High Court of Kenya; Vice President Emeritus, Law Society of Kenya.
Meluleki Mtembu
Executive Director
Leads the Secretariat and day-to-day delivery of the Foundation's programmes, in support of the Board and its committees.
Founder's Message
Founder's message.
It is our privilege to place before you the work of the Harriette Chiggai Foundation, established to advance women's economic empowerment, technological inclusion, education and evidence-based leadership across Africa. The Foundation is convened under my stewardship as President's Advisor on Women's Rights to the Government of Kenya, and is constituted as a female-driven, independently governed institution built for long-term financial sustainability.
— Hon. Harriette Chiggai, Founder, The Harriette Chiggai Foundation; President's Advisor on Women's Rights, Republic of Kenya
Founder's Dossier
The Founder's dossier.
Advocate of the High Court of Kenya
Founder & Managing Partner, Chiggai and Company Advocates. Previously Vice President of the Law Society of Kenya and Secretary General of the East Africa Law Society, where she pioneered institutional reforms including the Young Lawyers Committee, the In-House Counsel Caucus and the Senior Members Caucus.
President's Advisor on Women's Rights
A Cabinet-level appointment leading the Office of the Women's Rights Advisor (OWRA) — including formation of the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services, the Safe Homes, Safe Spaces Initiative, and national policy dialogue on Femicide and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence.
Kenya's Government Data Champion
Leads gender-responsive data systems, evidence-based policy-making and accountability frameworks — including leading the G7 Technical Working Group on Gender, Women and Children's Rights, and a year of embedding gender-data practice at the highest levels of government with Data2X and academic partners.
Credentials & Governance
LL.B; MBA (Corporate Management & Financing); Certified Professional Mediator; Certified Governance Expert; Arbitrator. Chaired Audit, Finance and Governance committees at South Eastern Kenya University, Machakos University and Kibabii University; at Kenya Industrial Estates, chaired Audit & Risk while the corporation rose to No. 1 State Corporation rankings.
Awards & Recognition
Phenomenal African Woman of the Year, PAW Africa (2015); Kenya Data Champion; Peace League award in recognition of tireless advocacy for women's rights; Human Rights Champion for strategic leadership in women's economic empowerment and investment in Kenya.
Founding Other Institutions
Founder & Patron of the Western Jurists Forum, promoting legal scholarship and leadership development; Founder & Chairman of the Face of the Bar Series, a mentorship platform for young lawyers and university students entering the legal profession.
Give in a way that outlives the programme cycle.
Of every donation, at least 20% is ring-fenced into the Harriette Chiggai Fund — building long-term financial independence, not just a single programme cycle.