Saving Kenya's Environment Through Family Planning

CHAT mobilisers have noted that in the Nanyuki-slums in Laikipia County, increasing numbers of school girls are seeking out fp services which are made available by CHAT in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and community own resource person (CORP) mobiliser i.e Rose.  

Nanyuki is a fast growing garrison town frequented by an increasing number of commercial sex workers. Some school going girls discreetly engage in this vice during holidays leading to unwanted pregnancies. Rose met a 32 year old woman and her 16 year old teenage daughter, Belinda*, who had given birth last year whilst in Form two.

Belinda dropped out of school after giving birth to take care of her new born - increasing the number of mouths to be fed in her family to nine! Belinda chose a long lasting contraception method - hoping this will last her for at least 3 – 5 years this enabling her to continue her studies.

“As a family, we decided for Belinda to access FP because we want her to complete her education then find a job. We do not want her to get pregnant yet again,’ said her mother Wanjiku* who bears the responsibility of taking care of her grandchild, a huge responsibility in these lean times.

Rose liased with a MOH nurse who accompanies her at times whilst providing door to door integrated FP/ecological awareness sensitisation in the slums around Nanyuki town.

After running several tests, Belinda eventually chose a 5 year long term contraception method thus enabling her to eventually complete school, achieve her goals and dreams in life - and prevent expensive unwanted pregnancies or worse such as a fatal abortion - as was the case of some of her friends.

“Availability of reproductive health services and contraception’s is one of the key factors that we need to address in order to become sustainable and prosperous, therefore many young women and girls, like me, need to fully embrace it. I am now happy that I will not disappoint my family again as I will now complete my education and make my parents and community proud’ said Monica - another school girl speaking to the mobiliser in Majengo slum – another Nanyuki slum

“This is why CHAT, in partnership with MoH and CORPs - like me - are working closely to ensure that availability of these vital FP services reach the needy young women and girls like Belinda; it’s one of the key factors that developing countries like Kenya need to address in order to become sustainable and prosperous. We need also to embrace FP services for it is not only a universal need but also a basic human right as rapid population growth is at the center of many of the Kenya’s (and the world’s) pressing environmental, economic and security problems...” The FPCORP affirmed.

Belinda’s family was very grateful to the MOH nurse for accompanying the CORP mobiliser and especially appreciated the donor and CHAT.

Between Feb-Apr.2017, thanks to your donations- that contributed to helping CHAT reach 18,063 individuals with family planning/ ecological awareness information and a total of 6,655 clients were able to access different FP contraception methods of their choice.

“We need to recognise that slowing population growth as one of the most cost-effective and reliable ways of easing pressure on our environment and securing a sustainable future for us all,”

Lionel Shriver