End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya

by Hope Foundation for African Women (HFAW)
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End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya
End Female Genital Mutilation in 9 schools, Kenya

Project Report | Jan 3, 2025
Empowering Gesura Primary: Combating FGM and Teenage Pregnancies.

By Doris Kananu | Program Director

Group photo during advocacy at Gesura Primary.
Group photo during advocacy at Gesura Primary.

 Dear Esteemed Partners,
At Gesura Primary School, we aimed to address pressing issues such as FGM, teenage pregnancy, and other challenges affecting young learners. Our engagement, conducted with the community's involvement, took place recently and revealed alarming insights. Gesura Primary has a student population of 291 girls and 201 boys, supported by 16 teachers (10 female and 6 male), making a total of 508 participants.

During our outreach, the HFAW team, led by Gladys and Joyce, engaged the learners and teachers through comprehensive discussions and presentations. Gladys tackled the topic of FGM, while Joyce addressed early teenage pregnancy. These sessions sparked candid conversations, revealing the courage and openness of learners in sharing their experiences and concerns.

Insights from Learners: A Grade 5 girl, Kwamboka, not her real name, shared her understanding of family planning, stating that "if you don’t want to get pregnant, you go for family planning methods." Upon further conversations, it was revealed that girls and their parents lack sufficient information and guidance about family planning, which ends up having many of them face the danger of early pregnancies.

Some participants were concerned about the impact of abortions on future pregnancies. “We need more information on the topic of abortion, its availability, its effect, and if one can conceive later in life after she has had one, as expressed by Moraa, not her real name. While staff addressed some concerns, we realized that a more detailed forum specific to this topic needs to be organized in the near future to help these children learn strategies to combat early pregnancies, especially in this community where abortion is literally not accessible to teenage mothers. Children shouldn’t have to use abortion as a contraceptive.

Media Influence and External Factors: Osoro, not his real name, noted that mass media’s portrayal of explicit content has influenced adolescents, shaping their sexual habits. Additionally, long school holidays were identified as a period of heightened risk for teenage pregnancies due to external influences and lack of parental supervision.

Gladys delivered an impactful presentation on strategies to avoid early pregnancies. A forum is planned for male engagement to enlighten these issues to those who are decision makers. Staff also discussed FGM, explaining that the practice has no health benefits and causes significant harm to girls. She highlighted the immediate and long-term health risks, as well as its violation of girls' rights. Learners were urged to reject the practice and report any intentions of FGM to trusted authorities.

Our findings indicate that mentorship programs are urgently needed to motivate and support learners. Additionally, issues such as lack of parental care, self-control, and basic needs contribute to the challenges faced by these young individuals. HFAW recommended organizing parental meetings to educate parents on fostering healthy communication and supervision.

As a team, we strongly urge the community to stand against harmful practices such as FGM and early teenage pregnancies. Reporting such practices and engaging in continuous education are vital steps toward creating a safer environment for all learners.

We are deeply grateful for your unwavering support, which enables us to reach vulnerable communities like Gesura. Your contributions are instrumental in our mission to empower young learners and create lasting change. HFAW remains committed to following up on these efforts and expanding our outreach to ensure a sustainable impact.

With warm regards,
Doris Kananu Muthengi
Program Director.

Gladys engaging learners ion teenage pregnancies
Gladys engaging learners ion teenage pregnancies
Joyce empowering learners on dangers of FGM
Joyce empowering learners on dangers of FGM
The teacher addressing issues of teen pregnancies
The teacher addressing issues of teen pregnancies
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Sep 5, 2024
CRITICAL ANTI FGM SCHOOL OUTREACH AT TINDIRETI PRIMARY

By Doris Kananu | Program Director

May 8, 2024
ENGAGING MANGA MODEL GIRLS IN ENDING FGM AND EARLY TEENAGE PREGNANCY.

By Doris Kananu | Program Director

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Organization Information

Hope Foundation for African Women (HFAW)

Location: Nairobi, Kiambu County - Kenya
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
Twitter: @HFAW2015
Project Leader:
Dr. Grace Bonareri Mose Okong'o
Nairobi , Nairobi County Kenya
$28,126 raised of $35,000 goal
 
222 donations
$6,874 to go
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