Leadership Training for Girls in Rural Kenya

On December 1, World AIDS Day, we hosted a sporting event to raise awareness about the spread of deadly disease in the communities we serve. Hundreds of community members came to run the races (which ranged from 10 KM cross-country events to 100 M sack races), with the winners bringing home prizes like backpacks, thermoses, and even sheep and goats! Raising awareness about HIV/AIDS remains an urgent concern in our community, especially for youth. As of 2020, an estimated 1.5 million Kenyans were living with HIV, with 61% of all new cases being adolescents and young people. Of that group, 67% are girls and young women.

The following week, beginning on December 5, our Linda Dada (“Protect a Sister” in Swahili) campaign held four outreach forums in the surrounding community. These forums reached a total of 292 youth, who learned about reproductive health, teen pregnancy, child marriage, and FGM—information that is especially important in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns and the subsequent surge in unintended pregnancies and sexual violence. 

Over the course of 2022, our Health and Leadership Training program reached a total of 4,786 youth (2,614 girls and 2,172 boys), which represented an increase of around 260% from 2021. We intend to continue this growth in the new year. In preparation for our 2023 programming, our field staff have been working closely with Kenya’s Ministry of Education. We are happy to announce that the number of participating schools is anticipated to increase this year, from 28 to 30!

None of this growth would be possible with our supporters. Thanks to your dedication, more and more young people are gaining access to life-changing health education and key healthcare resources. Thank you for your continued partnership; we look forward to sharing more updates with you in our next report!