Saving Kenya's Environment Through Family Planning

*Not their real names

Kashana*, a fisherman from the Mitamboni community in the CoastEcosystem, has always depended on the ocean’s bounty to feed his family and keep a roof over their heads. His wife, Amina*, known for her incredible chapatis, cooks at a small roadside hotel in the Shariani area. Together, they are raising seven children, all born in close succession. They live in a mud-walled house that is slowly crumbling, and like many in their community, they dream of better housing.

Lately, however, Kashana’s life as a fisherman has been growing more difficult. His catch has dwindled to the point where he often returns home with little or no fish. The ocean, once so plentiful, is now overfished, and the community is beginning to feel the impact of poor resource management. Realising that something had to change, Kashana joined his fellow fishermen in exploring better fishing practices to sustain their livelihoods. He became one of the initiative’s strongest supporters, all thanks to the influence of Community Own Resource Person (CORP) Mercylyn.

CORP Mercylyn is in the same women’s group as Amina. While Amina shared her frustrations about the strain of having seven children, Mercylyn introduced her to the idea of FP. Not only could FP help reduce the financial burden on their family, but it could also positively impact the environment by reducing pressure on limited resources. Intrigued, Amina shared everything she learned with Kashana, and they invited Mercylyn to their home for a more in-depth conversation.

The couple soon realised that planning their family would give them the time and space to improve their lives. They agreed to start with a five-year implant pregnancy protection method, allowing them to manage their resources more effectively and focus on providing a better future for their children.

But it didn’t stop there. Kashana, having embraced both environmental conservation and family planning, began inviting his friends to their home to hear Mercylyn’s advice. As a believer in the power of shared knowledge, Kashana knows that what helped his family could benefit others as well. In his words, "Knowledge shared is knowledge doubled," and the more their community learns about sustainable practices, whether in fishing or FP, the brighter their future will be.

Through the generous support of GG, CHAT successfully disseminated behaviour change information (BCC) to 6,961 individuals over the last three months. Additionally, 1,326 family planning clients were provided with various contraception methods tailored to their preferences, with 879 opting for long-term pregnancy protection methods lasting either 3 or 5 years, effectively reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancies.

“Investing in women’s health and family planning is not only the right thing to do but also one of the smartest investments we can make for economic development and poverty reduction.” Barak Obama.