Leadership Training for Girls in Rural Kenya

Our planned activities for the year have, of course, taken an unexpected turn with the reality of the global health pandemic. With the spread of COVID-19 and school closures around the world, many aspects of Kakenya’s Dream’s operations - including our Health and Leadership Training - have been delayed, suspended, or otherwise modified. Kenya's schools have been closed since March and the government recently announced that they will remain closed through the rest of the year. Our girls do not have access to any kind of learning materials in their homes without Kakenya’s Dream support and, if left unaddressed, this would cause them to fall behind their peers in more resourced locations who are able to continue learning through radio programs, Whatsapp, and other media. We also know that in addition to missing academics, girls are lacking medical care, counseling, and reproductive health attention and information that we provide. Unfortunately, the longer our girls are away from school, the greater their risks and challenges are when they finally do return. 

Our team has quickly pivoted our planned activities to immediately address these concerns and have been busy implementing new measures to protect and support our girls through this time. In May, we launched the Angaza Project, meaning “shine” in Swahili. Through the Angaza Project, our team is providing care packages to our students and their families that include the basic necessities they lack at home, such as soap, feminine hygiene products, and food staples. We also purchased solar-powered radios to allow the girls to access the lessons being delivered through national and local radio stations by the Ministry of Education, as well as solar lights, story books, textbooks, and other learning materials. We will be regularly distributing supplies as long as the crisis continues and hope that this support will mitigate some of the challenges our girls are facing while at home.

Additionally, COVID has only exacerbated the already alarmingly high rates of teen pregnancy in our region. Even before the pandemic, our communities have the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the country, currently at 40% - over twice the national average of 18%. Our team recognizes we need a stronger prevention strategy to combat early pregnancy and provide training on healthy interpersonal relationships. Beginning this fall/early winter, we plan to launch a community advocacy radio program to educate teenagers and young adults about how to be in control of their bodies, avoid unintended pregnancies, and learn about responsible family planning. We look forward to sharing more information in the next upcoming report - in the meantime, please sign up for our newsletter and connect with us via social media to get the latest updates!

Thank you for your continued belief in our work and your unwavering support of our girls. We are in this together.

We hope you are staying safe and healthy as we all face unprecedented challenges. 

Thanks to your support, we started our year off with lots of exciting activities. We completed the pilot of our new Kakenya’s Dream Health and Leadership training at ten partner schools, and we began the process of gathering feedback from participants, facilitators, and school leadership to make our program even stronger for the next round of training. Then the global health crisis put everything on pause.

In times of uncertainty such as this, I see the best of our community emerge. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all who have asked, “How can we help?” As one of our most important supporters, I want to tell you how the pandemic has impacted our programs.

Like in many parts of the world, all schools in Kenya are closed until further notice, including our two campuses and the schools where we deliver trainings. The reality of a global health crisis is particularly devastating for vulnerable populations. We are more concerned than ever for the wellbeing of the girls we serve, as they will be more susceptible while at home to female genital mutilation, teen pregnancy, and early marriages. Schools often provide them with physical safety as well as nutrition.

Another major threat we currently see is the spread of misinformation and knowledge gaps. Most parents in our region are illiterate, and few have access to the internet. My team and I are actively looking for ways to continue to support students and their families as we navigate this difficult time. Aside from your amazing financial support, if you are looking for ways to help, here are some ideas:

• Share our work: While we are physically distanced, we can still connect socially. Continue to spread the word about Kakenya’s Dream and share our work with others who care about educating and empowering vulnerable girls.
• Create a fundraiser: Visit our website to learn how you can create your own fundraiser or host a virtual party for Kakenya’s Dream.
• Communicate: Although our staff is working remotely, we are still available and want to hear from you, our Kakenya’s Dream family.

Please remember: YOU make our work possible. Thank you for standing with us in good times and these difficult times.

We will get through this together and continue to build a better world for everyone.

In solidarity,

Kakenya

Links:

• Our website