Leadership Training for Girls in Rural Kenya

From May to November 2023, our afterschool Health and Leadership Training Program was taught across 30 schools in Narok and Kisii Counties. 5,638 girls and boys were educated on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health, the dangers of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, as well as trained in advocacy and communication skills. Additionally, 114 young adults were trained to teach our gender-sensitive afterschool curriculum and gained valuable professional development, which is critical given Kenya’s high youth unemployment rate.

During this time, staff met regularly with the peer trainers that teach the curriculum to collect their feedback and provide support. Trainers reported active, increasing engagement and willingness to discuss typically taboo topics like abuse or child marriage from participants. Teachers also noticed positive changes in students, such as greater confidence and eagerness to participate in class activities and higher school attendance rates. We love to see these young people’s enthusiasm and hunger to learn about their bodies, health, and rights! As the new year begins, our staff will be meeting with new school partners and adapting our six-month curriculum into a three year model, building in greater engagement opportunities for teachers and parents to help reinforce lessons, invest in their children’s learning, and provide programmatic sustainability. 

In 2022, we built our community’s first youth-friendly health clinic. In the rural areas we serve, access to healthcare is extremely limited and people’s knowledge about their reproductive and sexual health is often minimal or distorted due to its taboo status. This leads to higher rates of teen pregnancy, harmful practices, and adverse health outcomes: for example, in Narok County where we work, 28% of teenage girls have experienced pregnancy–almost double the Kenyan national average rate of 15% (2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey). To address these needs, our clinic will not only provide primary healthcare services, but also emphasize adolescent health with mental health resources, contraceptives, and sexual and reproductive health education activities. Last year, we began outfitting it with medical equipment, hiring staff, and acquiring the necessary government permits in preparation for its opening later this year. 

In November, we hosted our first-ever medical outreach event to promote awareness of the clinic’s upcoming launch and generate community buy-in. In collaboration with the local health center, we converted an empty school into a pop-up clinic outfitted with a lab, exam room, and nurse station. We advertised the pop-up clinic through word of mouth and on the local Maasai radio station. By the end of the day, we saw 224 patients. People sought treatment for a wide range of issues, including malaria, hypertension, tonsillitis, HIV, and upper respiratory infections. We also experienced significant demand for sexual and reproductive health services. We performed screenings for HIV, Hepatitis B, and other STIs and provided modern contraception. We look forward to continuing this work in our clinic next year and through our existing health education programs. Together, these programs will empower people with the knowledge necessary to make informed choices about their health and provide accessible and compassionate medical services that will encourage people to seek the routine care they need to lead healthy lives. 

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25) marks the beginning of a global campaign known as the "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.” We used this opportunity to host a fun and educational sporting event that would raise community awareness about the impact of Gender-Based Violence. In December, we held finals for our sports competition, “Kakenya dimba cup,” in which a total of 32 games were played. Through this activity, we educated a total of 1,996 community members about Gender-Based Violence and other issues affecting girls in our communities. 

Less than a week after the conclusion of this successful event, we held our monthly community forum under our Linda Dada Campaign. The Linda Dada (“Protect a Sister”) Campaign, which is housed under our Health and Leadership Program, was launched in Fall 2020 to bring awareness and prevention of teenage pregnancy among community members like parents, local community and religious leaders, and out-of-school youth. To date, we have reached 5,284 individuals through monthly discussion forums and 830,562 indirectly through media and radio campaigns. The issue of teenage pregnancy and harmful practices like FGM remain prevalent in the counties where we operate. In fact, 66% of girls have undergone FGM and in Narok County alone, 28% of girls have experienced pregnancy–nearly twice the country average of 15% (2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey). The campaign, along with our other advocacy and awareness initiatives, fosters community dialogue and destigmatizes taboo topics like teenage pregnancy, sexual health, and FGM to shift community attitudes towards greater gender equality. 

We are deeply grateful for people like you in the GlobalGiving community. Your generosity positively impacts thousands of girls and their communities, offering transformative access to education and basic healthcare. We appreciate your ongoing collaboration, and we are eager to share additional updates with you this year!