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Lily Wachuku: Empowering Girls Worldwide to Succeed by Living Life The Girl Way
Lily Wachuku
Empowering Girls Wldwide to Succeed by Living Life e Girl Way
PINP O INTE RESIDENT PR O FILE
By Liz Chevalier
Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with Lily Wachuku, a senior-to-be at Cy-Ranch High School. Lily is no ordinary high school teenager; She is on a powerful mission to change the world. The founder of the Girls’ Empowerment Organization, “Live Life the Girl Way,” (livelifethegirlway.com) Lily is seeking support from the Cypress community.
Where did you grow up? Tell me all about yourself…
I grew up right here in Cypress. I am from a family full of very diverse interests and a mindset for self-improvement and world betterment. This has definitely impacted me since the very beginning of my life. I have been raised to believe in myself, to strive for the best in all that I do, and to use my gifts and talents to positively impact the world.
Schooling?
I am currently a senior in high school and my academic plan is focused on STEM and French. I love learning new things and growing as a person!
How did the organization begin? How many years? Tell me what you do, your mission...what do you want your audience to know.
I started my Girls’ Empowerment Organization “Live Life The Girl Way” (livelifethegirlway.com), in the fall of 2018 to empower and encourage girls globally to work toward achieving all of their goals and dreams, to be confident in themselves and their abilities, and to never close the doors on great opportunities even when they seem like stretch goals. My organization's mission and platform are structured around providing helpful resources such as articles, YouTube videos, podcast episodes, and inspirational Twitter posts to help girls and young women to have access to the examples, habits, and way of thinking that they need to continue to work towards achieving lofty goals and ambitions.
What drove you to move forward with the organization?
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to change the world positively. I always believed that I could make a positive change in the world if I tried. Three years ago, when I was thirteen years old, I finally took a step towards positively impacting the world and future generations by creating my organization. My driving force was definitely the belief that I could use my gifts and talents to inspire and empower girls everywhere.
How did you decide to start your organization?
Much of my talent lies is writing and speaking, so I thought that the best way to inspire and empower girls was to incorporate those talents for the most positive impact. I found that the internet was the best way to reach many people while using my talents of speaking and writing, so Live Life The Girl Way was born soon after via the website livelifethegirlway.com.
Grades? Favorite subjects, talents, fun time activities?
I am currently in the top 9% of students in my graduating class. My favorite class is AP English because I can spend an entire hour each day doing what I love to do, which is reading and writing! My favorite things to do for fun are painting, reading, listening to music, and working for my organization.
What challenges have you experienced running the organization in the pandemic?
The pandemic makes it difficult to have events that make it possible for me to connect with my amazing community. This challenges me to find creative ways to connect with and inspire others!
My name is Lily Wachuku and I am a 16-year-old senior at Cypress Ranch High School, and a Cypress resident. I created “Live Life the Girl Way,” a web-based girls’ organization which focuses on empowerment for young girls and teens. My organization is over two years old and is frequently accessed by over 130 countries, with some of my posts averaging over 6,000 hits. My organization focuses on positive and uplifting messages for young girls and teens to encourage them to reach their full potential. I am also a motivational speaker. When I started middle school, I noticed that many of the girls around me lacked selfconfidence and didn't believe in themselves. The majority of the girls throughout middle school and high school weren't empowered or encouraged. They believed the stereotypes that society has for girls and women today; many didn't seem to think that there was a place for them outside of "girl careers." I have been lucky enough to have people around me every day that empower and encourage me to be my best self and to achieve all of my goals and dreams. This year, we have launched the campaign, “Fuel Her Dreams,” to raise money to educate girls in Malawi, Africa. Our mission is to fund one year of education for 20 girls in an effort to help combat child marriage in that country. “Live Life the Girl Way” is working with UNICEF USA to reach my goal of raising $3540. I am asking for the support of the Cypress community to help me “Fuel Her Dreams.” The fundraiser link is : charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/fuel-her-dreams1. The deadline for donations is September 30, 2021. Live Life the Girl Way is not a feminist organization. It is an organization dedicated to encouraging girls globally to achieve all of their goals and dreams, to eradicate their insecurities, and to take their place in the world. I believe that if I empower and encourage girls to Dream, Succeed, and Achieve, I can change the world for the better. "Live Life the Girl Way" can be accessed at www.livelifethegirlway.com. Lily Wachuku
Finish this statement: When things are the toughest, I… Frederiksted, St. Croix, USVI - 2018 I read a good book, write poetry, or watch a ‘feel good’ or comedy movie to remind myself that better days are ahead.
Family time usually involves…?
Before the pandemic family time usually involved fun trips to Houston’s Museum District and Uptown Park Houston, but now family time usually involves family movie nights.
What do you do to relax? Hobbies/Activities?
Running a Girls’ Empowerment Organization while being a full-time student at age sixteen can definitely be very stressful! To relax, I like to listen to music, to dance, and to create art.
What has helped you to get through Covid-19, any thoughts, correlations to what you do?
Creating content for my organization has definitely helped me to get through COVID-19 because it gives me a greater purpose, which is to inspire and empower girls everywhere. I am so grateful for my organization during this time because it keeps me grounded and inspires me to stay positive and keep trying no matter what.
Any additional comments?
I am most excited about my new “Fuel Her Dreams” initiative. Recently, my Girls’ Empowerment Organization launched the “Fuel Her Dreams” initiative in collaboration with UNICEF USA. When I learned that many girls in Malawi were not given the chance to complete their education after primary school I was displeased; and when I heard that because of this many were exploited through child marriage I was angry. So, I launched my “Fuel Her Dreams” initiative to provide 20 girls in Malawi with an entire year of education this year. I need $3,540 to accomplish this goal. I am working as hard as I can to achieve this goal, but I still need help. I would greatly appreciate your donations to this fundraiser to help to save girls in Malawi from child marriage today. Learn more about my campaign to educate girls this year by googling “Fuel Her Dreams” today to find our GoFundMe page!
charity.gofundme.com/o/en/ campaign/fuel-her-dreams1
If you know of an exceptional Cypress Creek Lakes, Greater Fairfield, Towne Lake, Coles Crossing, or Bridgeland/Blackhorse Ranch individual or family that should be featured in an upcoming issue of PinPointe Magazine, please contact me: texasteacher024@outlook.com.
