It’s a common question that new community members ask. 

During my daughter’s healing journey, she attended the Star Guides Wilderness Program. In this program, my daughter learned how to start fires, lead hikes, cook over an open fire, and most importantly, how to use healthy coping strategies to overcome sexual trauma.

Furthermore, my daughter received additional support in the form of weekly therapy. During her sessions, the therapist addressed the dangerous behaviors associated with the sexual abuse my daughter experienced. These behaviors led me to find the Star Guides Wilderness Program, which turned out to be a very much needed safe space for my daughter.

The team of professional counselors empowered the girls by recognizing their growth and advancement through the program. One of the more sacred ways of recognizing the girls was to grant them an “Earth Name.”  My daughter told me that she told her counselors about the matching necklaces that she and I have. I bought them for us when she was six years old. The necklaces have a dragonfly charm on them. With the necklaces as inspiration, my daughter would later be given the Earth Name, “Eastern Emerald Kerengende.” Pronounced karen-gen-day, the term means “dragonfly” in Swahili. 

I chose the name Kerengende for this reason. We all have different paths to healing. The story of my daughter’s Earth Name highlights the importance of being safe, seen, and understood during some of our most trying times. That is what the Kerengende Foundation is here to do. We see you. We hear you. We understand. 

For Our Daughters,

Amber Clayborne