Teenage pregnancies
Community members in Shinyalu, Kakamega County have made a firm declaration to defend the rights of women, children and the elderly in the society.
A section of the community made a public pronouncement at Shinyalu market that they will fight and expose perpetrators of violence against children(VAC), those impregnating teenagers and the ones engaged and promoting early marriages. The public declaration follows an extensive empowerment program targeting leading members of the community through the Together Empowering Society to Eliminate Abuse of Women and Children (Tetea) project.
The project which is being undertaken by Kakamega County Widows Empowerment Project (KCWEP) in partnership with the International Committee for the Development of Peoples (CISP) is meant to create a cohesive and safe community for the vulnerable groups.
KCWEP Tetea Project Coordinator Fred Anami asked community members to always report any form of abuse to relevant authorities including the local administration in order to get justice. He said as partners in the Tetea project, they have graduated over 56 groups and eight Community Dialogue Groups to champion discussion and action in ending teenage pregnancies, early marriages and violence against children.
Anami said through the project, the partners also formed Child Rights Clubs in schools to empower children to speak up when they are facing challenges or when they are abused. In addition to the Child Right Clubs, KCWEP and CISP who are implementing partners of the Tetea Project in Kakamega installed talk boxes to be used by students to write down the challenges they are facing whether at home or at school.
A section of the community members in Shinyalu make public declarations to fight teenage pregnancies, early marriages, Gender Based Violence and violence against women and children.
Photos by Moses Wekesa.
According to the headteacher of Kisaina Comprehensive School Wilbroda Wesonga Lutomia, Child Rights Clubs(CRC) and talk boxes have provided an alternative means for students to communicate to the school administration for their concerns to be addressed. She said children in school are now sensitized through the CRCs and talk boxes and are able to express themselves openly and frankly.
“Through these talk boxes we have come to realize that the children are having some problems both at school as well as at home and we have been able to advise these children, we have even been able to counsel them so that they are able to overcome the difficulties they have been experiencing both at school and at home,” she added.
She urged the government to adopt the project and roll it out in all schools since it has opened a channel of communication making the work of teacher’s simpler as they are able to understand the children they are dealing with. “It has even made the work of we teachers easier because we are able to understand our students and assist them to overcome the challenges, they are facing so that they are able to continue with their education,” she added.
A local pastor from Shinyalu, Elkana Amunya said that following the project, men have declared that they will support their women and also sensitize others on the rights of women to inherit land and their role to offer them protection. A youth, Lavin Bulimo who is also a community dialogue leader of Chevoso youth group said she has noted a transformation in the community since they started engaging in dialogue sessions.