Project Launching
This project is supported by CISU through 100% for children for a period of two years 2020-2021, and it’s being implemented by Help Mission Development Services in Baringo County and Positive Life Kenya in Mulolongo Machakos County. The project is targeting to reach 34 schools (HMDS 17 schools and Positive life Kenya 17) and direct beneficiaries 4080 students.
Primary target groups:
- Children and youth in selected primary, secondary and vocational schools in the urban slum area, Mlolongo, and the poor rural areas of Baringo County.
- Teachers and the schools
Secondary target groups:
The appropriate authorities
Government officials at sub-county-level and at metropolitan-level (in Nairobi), are the a target group, and agreements from these officials directly responsible for the schools that we work with have been acquired already.
Objective and relevance
Breaking the silence: Voices of change and civic engagement
The objective of this intervention is to empower young people to have increased control over their own lives, bodies and the community factors which impact upon it. This means that young people have the knowledge and skills to intervene and shape their surroundings by speaking up and advocating for their own rights through civil society engagement.
Project duty bearers and civic engagement
This project is an intervention that takes place where formal education makes little room for student participation beyond recitation and answering the teacher’s questions with yes or no. This means that pupils find it difficult to express them in analytical and critical thinking where answers are more blurred, complex, independent and at times subjective. This raises concerns on a civil societal level, as the students are the future decision/opinion makers and agents of change. Strong active citizenship based on critical independent thinking is the cornerstone of a continued democratic process.
This intervention aims to pursue the objective through 5 immediate objectives:
1.The institutionalization of the pedagogical method Active Assessment in project schools, to continue the trust-based dialogue between the teachers and the pupils started in the pilot
2.Establishing school clubs in selected secondary and vocational schools. The school clubs will act as CBO organizations and become catalyst introducing and guiding secondary students towards civil society engagement
3. A Digital Ambassadors Programme facilitating intercultural video exchanges between Kenyan youth and Danish youth
4. Capacity building of Kenyan partners advocacy and networking skills
5. Advocacy work by Kenyan partner organization for better Life Skill education and for a fair and proper distribution of resources as the new Kenyan school reform is implemented.
The launching of the project was done in February in Machakos County where in attendance from 100% for Children: Camilla Legendre -Daily Manager and Charlotte Lea Jensen -Head of Communications and fundraiser. Other participants were Carsten Willersted a volunteer in HMDS, HMDS two representatives and six representatives from positive life Kenya.
We had other groups that attended but only a day; Centre for the Study of Adolescence Kenya (CSA) was represented by Mr. Albert.
Marie Bang and Albert Obbuyi of (CSA) were to start training workshop for Positive life Kenya and Help Mission Development Services on 23rd March 2020 but due to Covid -19 outbreak it was postponed to a later date.
We held post pilot survey to both students and Teachers to gain their understanding on the project and below are the results.
1. This will prevent unintended pregnancies among girls and will lead girls to complete their education and thus change the society thinking and economic well being of their families. (Student from Oterit secondary school)
2. Students will have informed sexual health knowledge and this will act as a prevention strategy for STI and HIV among teens in our schools and community at large.( Student from Kabarbesi Primary- Class 8 Girl)
3. This has given us (young people) an opportunity for understanding our sexual health rights and also opportunity to make informed choices about our own bodies.( Class 8 student in Nato Primary school).
4. Now we know that we can say no if we don’t want to have sex and that it’s our right. (Student class 7 at Kures Primary school).
5. We now understood that in forced marriage we can say no to it and it’s our right to say.
- As young people we have to be involved in decision making with guidance not to be decided for. (Student from Borokwo primary school).
We held post pilot survey to both students and Teachers to gain their understanding on the project and below are the results.
Students Respondents
- Women’s economic security (property rights, inheritance, involvement in paid work.
Please tell me the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement:
| Details | SD | D | NDA | A | SA |
| A woman’s only role is to take care of the house and prepare meals for her family | 51 | 38 | 4 | 3 | 4 |