ChildsLife convenes stakeholders' meeting to discuss children welfare during December holidays

Parents, leaders and other key players in the society have been urged to be more cautious as December holidays commence following end of third-term school calendar.

During the long holidays, there would be various events including circumcision and other rites of passage in some of the communities.

During this important meeting, speakers regretted that lack of adequate health education targeting girls has severe societal consequences, leading to practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Such backward practices, they said, often lead to Ill health and increased cases of school dropout, which socioeconomically disadvantage the girls.

The meeting conveyed in form of a training session, was organised by ChildsLife International Kenya, a non-governmental organisation.

It attracted children, parents, ordinary citizens from other demographics, and stakeholders that fight for children's rights.

The ChildsLife Director Paul Sugut aid the organisation had been able to provide education to small forums and groups at the district and ward levels, with trainings mainly focusing on the importance of health education for the vulnerable children and those in harsh environment.

He said more than 50,000 children and their communities have benefited from the trainings.

ChilsLife's areas of expertise include addressing Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV/SRH) including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), young women and adolescent girls mentorship, HIV/AIDs management to affected and infected mothers, maternal health, mental health awareness and interventions,
education (school infrastructure, vocational training), and WASH (School Water Harvesting, Community Boreholes).

They also focus on sustainable agriculture (kitchen gardens, greenhouses, and give a school a herd project).

One of ChildsLife crucial programmes is anti-FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) sensitisation and awareness campaign in Kuria, Migori County. 

Mr Sugut said that under the project, they work with girls and their parents to prevent female circumcision.

"Since 2019, we have reached out to over 3,600 schoolgirls directly in 36 schools in Kuria East and Kuria West. We have developed an extensive course material that we use on an annual basis with each cohort. We have also developed an online interactive e-learning data collection channel hosted by our procured domain," Mr Sugut said.

He said, the platform is used for peer-to-peer dissemination of educational materials and e-recording of critical information for monitoring and rescuing school girls at risk of undergoing FGM.

He affirmed that, they work with several communities and clans in Kuria to save girls from FGM, leading to a broader collaboration which has been set up with girls, boys, their parents, community leaders, local schools, social service providers, Ministry of Education, and child protection department as well as local administration.

Additionally, ChildsLife conduct stakeholders’ conferences and parents or community sensitisation meetings either in the schools or in churches nearby.

He said, ChildsLife work closely with a Certified Nurse & Gender Based Violence Officer Catherine Tingo, who takes the attendees through the medical effects of FGM.

Ms Tingo has mastered her delivery of the message.

She mainly uses Swahili and the native/local language in her presentation which the people easily understand.

The NGO provides hygiene packs for the girls and gaming equipment for schools.

“Our project is over 97 percent acceptable to local stakeholders (girls, boys, parents, teachers, tribal and religious leaders). 90 percent of beneficiaries receiving anti-FGM education report improved knowledge, awareness and change of attitude about the practice of FGM,” Mr Sugut said.

The girls enrolled in the programme report a great improvement in their level of confidence to speak up about FGM after the intervention compared to the baseline.

One of the beneficiaries, Natalia Vanesa, said the number of girls with knowledge of the action to take when faced with the danger of undergoing the cut improve from baseline after attending the 10 FGM educational modules sessions.

Most parents after getting the FGM eradication campaign, declared not to cut their daughters and agreed to act as crusaders of eradication of FGM in their communities.

‘’We continue to see the great need of our programme to rescue girls at risk of FGM each year. At ChildsLife, we remain committed in our efforts to eradicate FGM for the good of the girl child,’’ Mr Sugut added.

In the months of June, September, and October, he said, “we have engaged over 1,700 parents from Keburui, Kebare, Kugitura, Bingutwi, Kuguyi, Nyaitara, Sanchawa and Maeta Primary Schools in sensitisation meetings”.

Ms Tingo, the facilitator, said more and more parents need to be brought on board.

"Our findings still hold that it is very impactful to reach out to more parents for effective change to take place. In all our meetings, the parents have made open declarations that they will no longer participate in FGM and its related activities," said Ms Tingo.

Additionally, ChildsLife supports its partner organisation on the ground GOCESO Women Network.

GOCESO CEO Susan Matinde said they have a rescue centre based at Ntunyigi in Kehancha to manage a Rescue Camp at Ntunyigi-Kehancha that help girls facing the imminent danger of FGM and early marriages.