Educating & Keeping Girls Safe in a Pandemic

Prior to the current COVID- 19 pandemic, Sub – Saharan Africa was reported as the region with the highest out-of-school rates for all age groups. According to UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Fact Sheet No. 48[1] of the 63 million out-of-school children of primary school age, 34 million, live in Sub-Saharan Africa. The region also accounts for the 27 million out of school adolescents. It is trite that due to poverty levels, cultural and social beliefs, more girls are likely to be excluded from education than boys.  For every 100 boys of secondary school age out of school there are 123 girls denied the right to education in the said region[2].

Three years ago, Akili Dada started programming for girls in Turkana County of Kenya. Turkana is the poorest region in the country and has a population of 926,976.[3] It has also been home to the Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement hosting over 58,000 refugees. Through our Young Changemakers program, Akili Dada has been providing scholarships to adolescent girls in the region as well as hosting residential leadership academies for over 300 girls as well as teacher and parent engagements. Akili Dada’s partner school in the region, also doubles up as a shelter for its student population. Predominantly a boarding high school, the school is also a source of refuge for students who cannot go home during the holidays due to violent seasonal rivers ,bandits, tribal clashes, harmful cultural practices such as beading which is often a precursor to early and forced marriage as well as severe famine and extensive drought.

With the Government Directive to unilaterally shut down all institutions of learning across the country as a way to curb the spread of the Corona virus, we are deeply concerned about the social, physical and psychological cost of these decision especially as relates to  underserved girls such as those we program for in Turkana. We do know that the number of adolescent girls who will remain out of school after this pandemic will greatly surpass the over 132 million girls globally who were already out of school. At the date of writing this article[4], there has been no reported COVID-19 case in Turkana County. While we applaud the Government’s efforts to address the pandemic and reduce further infections, we call for a more pragmatic response for adolescent girls and other vulnerable groups of people. Indefinitely closing schools that also act as shelters is a counter productive measure that may see very few girls return back to school. Even if they do return, we will be plagued with a further alarmingly high national teenage pregnancy rate as well as an upsurge in harmful cultural practices. The e-learning and radio programming as a stop gap measure to mitigate the massive disruption to education access is also a far to reach option for most households in Turkana. There will be a real risk of regression of studies in the region for both girls and boys.

Continuing education through the primary pathway of an in school set up must be considered an option and a priority in this region. Keeping students in school in this region will mean that they are safe from cross fires and bandit attacks. Keeping students in school in Turkana will also mean that they are afforded at least three meals a day. Keeping girls in school will also ensure they are safe from being beaded, from getting pregnant and with access to sanitary towels. Keeping girls in school will also mean that they are guaranteed a right to gain an education despite being living in a pandemic!

First Published on 1st May on  Akili Dada's webite

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[1] http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/fs48-one-five-children-adolescents-youth-out-school-2018-en.pdf

[2] UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and Global Education Monitoring Report (GEMR) (2016). “Leaving No One Behind: How Far on the Way to Universal Primary and Secondary Education?” GEMR policy paper 27/UIS fact sheet No. 37. Montreal and Paris: UIS and GEMR.

[3] 2019 GOK Census Report

[4] 11^th May 2020

Young Leaders Program.

The application process for the Young Leaders Program - as well as youth scholarships to attend the Women Deliver 2016 Conference - is now open! 

·         Young Leaders Program

·         Youth Scholarships to the Women Deliver 2016 Conference

The Young Leaders Program is a three-year fellowship program for young people (under the age of 30) who are passionate about maternal, sexual, and reproductive health and rights. 

Women Deliver works to develop the skills of youth advocates through our online learning communities, seed grant funding, and high-level networking and media opportunities. In addition to being awarded a full scholarship to attend the Women Deliver 2016 Conference on 16-19 May 2016 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Young Leaders will also have the opportunity to:

·         Participate in capacity-building e-learning opportunities that cover sexual and reproductive health and rights issues, advocacy, communications, proposal writing, project management, and monitoring and evaluation.

·         Apply for seed grant funding to implement a community-based project.

·         Make connections with a wide range of people working in the field, including high-level policymakers, donors, and journalists.

·         Join a network of former and current Young Leaders as well as professional mentors to increase advocacy around sexual and reproductive health and rights in their home countries.

·         Attend a two-day youth pre-conference workshop on advocacy around maternal health, with a focus on communications and new technologies, and serve as a youth representative at the conference.

While the total time required to fully participate in the Young Leaders Program depends on the individual, Young Leaders should expect to commit an average of up to 10 hours per week.

To apply for the Young Leaders Program, fill out the application here.

Youth Scholarships to attend the Women Deliver 2016 Conference are awarded to incredible youth advocates, under the age of 30, who are working to advance the health, rights, and well-being of girls and women in their community and around the world.

This opportunity includes:

·         A scholarship to attend the conference in Copenhagen, Denmark in May 2016

·         A chance to serve as a youth representative at the conference and connect with the wide range of policymakers, donors, activists, and journalists in attendance

To apply for a youth scholarship, fill out the application here.

The deadline to apply for both opportunities is March 1, 2015.

Have a question? Check out our "Frequently Asked Questions" here.

Please note that a passport and visa may be needed to enter Denmark. Women Deliver will cover the costs of obtaining the visa and provide supporting documentation, if needed.

Scholarships to attend the conference for people over the age of 30 will open on March 1.

http://www.womendeliver.org/deliver-for-youth/?youngleaders

The Battle Against HIV & AIDS in Kenya.

It is estimated that more than 33 million people in the world today are currently living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is also estimated that more than 30 million people have died from HIV-related complications since the earliest cases were detected in the early 1980s. While it is trite truth that huge progress has been made to increase access to HIV treatment in the past twenty and more years, and that new HIV infections have significantly declined in some regions, the pandemic nevertheless continues to wreck havoc in many more areas and efforts to control it seem distant. The number of newly infected people each year in most scenarios far outnumbers those who gain access to treatment by an estimated two to one ratio.

It is reported that Kenya has the fourth largest HIV epidemic in the world. In 2012, out of a population of about 40 million, an estimated 1.6 million individuals were living with HIV and there were approximately 98,000 new infections. The HIV & AIDS epidemic in Kenya has since been often referred to as being generalized. In essence this means that it affects all sections of the society including children, youth, adults, women and men alike. According to a Kenya AIDS Response Progress Report, a concentrated certain group of Kenyans are more susceptible to contracting the virus due to their vulnerability to HIV transmission.

These groups can be categorized as follows;

a)    Men who have sex with men (MSM)

b)   Persons who inject drugs  (PWIDs)

c)    Sex Workers

d)   Women and young girls 

HIV prevalence among MSM in Kenya is almost three times more than the general population. Condom use among this group is reportedly fairly low. It is important to note that sexual relations between men remain illegal in Kenya and can carry a prison sentence of about 21 years if found guilty. Homosexuality is thus largely considered taboo and repugnant to the cultural values and moral code of the Kenyan Nation. This stance leads to high levels of stigma and discrimination towards MSM as well as towards other members of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community in Kenya. This often acts as a huge barrier and deterrent for these individuals to seek HIV treatment and testing.

I will not belabor with the jurisprudential arguments on the law and morality and how these two are either distinct or analogous hypotheses. However what I would like to direct your attention to the Kenyan Constitution in specific to Article 43(1) which guarantees every individual the highest attainable standard of health…which is important to the realization of the right to life. Articles 26,27 and 28 in my mind also suggest that everyone has a right to life and that everyone shall be subjected to equality and freedom from discrimination in every sphere including access to medical care and treatment irrespective of sexual orientation or preference.

Granted, the Kenyan Government has made significant contributions to addressing the HIV & AIDS pandemic but a correlation and consistency remains to be seen in theory and in practice. One of the greatest strides taken was in 2006 with the enactment of the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control ACT 2006 which establishes the first ever tribunal (only one in the world) to handle legal issues relating to HIV, including discrimination against people living with HIV and protecting the confidentiality of medical records. Since its establishment in January 2012, the tribunal has received 400 complaints, admitted 14 cases and delivered two judgments.

Although the HIV prevalence among the general Kenyan population has fallen with rigorous campaigns around testing at VCT centers, sensitization and education campaigns as well as free ARVs medications provided at Government clinics, women and young girls unfortunately continue to be disproportionately affected by the epidemic. In 2012, Government statistics report that 6.9 % of women in Kenya were living with HIV compared with 4.2 % of men. Young women aged 15- 24 in Sub-Saharan Africa are almost three times more likely to be living with HIV than men of the same age. This can be attributed to discrimination that women and girls face in terms of access to education, employment, healthcare to name but a few. As a result, men will often always dominate sexual relations with women not being able to practice safe sex even when they know and understand the risks.

In the wake of the recently publicized partnership between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Nike Foundation and the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) on a $ 210 Million initiative to reduce new infections in adolescent girls and young women, governments in Sub-Saharan countries should also accelerate efforts in prevention initiatives targeted at the most vulnerable groups as identified. More people should be encouraged to know their status and thus be able to access treatment, care and support regardless of other collateral factors. The Kenyan Government should also work on overcoming social, cultural and legal barriers that hinder access, treatment and testing of all its citizenry. Leaders should also start thinking of sustainable ways to scale up and fund existing prevention and treatment efforts to curb HIV & AIDS.

Apply To Be A Global Health Corps Fellow

Applications for the 2015-2016 fellowship are NOW OPEN! To apply, click here.

 

Applications close February 3, 2015. Positions for the 2015-2016 fellowship and Part 2 of the application will be posted on December 9, 2014.

To view the positions currently filled by 2014-2015 fellows, click here. 

 To view the application questions without creating an online application, click here.

Application Requirements:

• Be 30 or under at the start of the fellowship
• Have an undergraduate university degree by July 2015
• Be proficient in English

Application Timeline for the 2015-2016 Fellowship:

• November 5, 2014: Part 1 of the application opens
• December 9, 2014: Position descriptions posted online. Part 2 of the application opens
• February 3, 2015: Applications close at 11:59pm EST. Two recommendation forms and Proof of Identity and Proof of Education documents due
• February – March 2015: Each application is reviewed by at least two readers
• March 2015: up to 10 semi-finalists are selected for each fellowship position. All candidates are notified of their application status by email
• March 2015: All semi-finalists are interviewed by Global Health Corps and 3-5 finalists per position are selected
• March – April 2015: All finalists are interviewed by the placement organizations
• April – May 2015: Fellowship offers extended

Fellows come from a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds, as each individual fellowship position requires different specific skills. Make sure to check out our fellowship FAQs page.

Wondering if you could be a GHC fellow?

Click here to hear alum, Aaron Shapiro, discuss his experience applying to the fellowship and respond to applicants who are wondering,  ”Am I qualified?” 

There is no single experience, background, quality or skill that makes someone the “right” candidate for the fellowship. Rather, we are looking for outstanding individuals who are seeking to apply their skills and their passion for health equity to a lifelong community of global changemakers. We do not expect that fellows will have a background in public health or that they have been involved in international development work before. We believe that global health organizations can greatly benefit from individuals who have worked in or studied a wide variety of fields. We strongly encourage applicants from all sectors to apply, including but by no means limited to engineering, finance, consulting, government, architecture, research, technology, and education.

Our fellows apply a diversity of professional skills to their GHC placements:

Through your application, we want to understand your personal background, your professional skills and experiences and how these factors inform your desire to be a GHC fellow.

In selection of GHC fellows, we are not looking for evidence of leadership experience, but rather an alignment with the leadership practices listed below. We have found that transformational leaders in global health, and successful GHC fellows, are committed to the following leadership practices.

Global Health Corps fellows are agents of change who:

Are committed to social justice: GHC fellows believe that all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity, and that healthcare is a human right. Fellows share a vision for a better world and are committed to creating transformative change.

Collaborate: GHC leaders appreciate the interconnected roots of global health inequities, and seek opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and backgrounds in pursuit of social change.

Inspire and mobilize others: GHC leaders can envision a just society and paint a compelling picture for others.  They communicate complex concepts clearly and seek opportunities to use their personal stories as tools to engage others in the movement for health equity

Adapt and innovate: Fellows can weather adversity and remain committed to their goals. They see challenges and uncertainty as opportunities to create new solutions to old problems. They think outside the box.

Are self-aware and committed to learning: Fellows understand that their development as leaders, practitioners and humans is a life-long process that requires humility, continual reflection and work.

Get results: GHC leaders get things done! Actively working against a “business as usual” attitude, they improve the wellbeing of the world’s poor and vulnerable by empowering communities, organizations and governments to bring about positive change.

Abortion and the need for womens' voices to be heard!

September 17, 2014

‘We need to have a candid conversation about abortion that is very personal and the people who need to be speaking and be given the chance to be heard are women because this issue inherently affects them first!’ Kate Kiama Atlas Corps Fellow (Kenya) serving at the Nike Foundation.

The year 2010 was indeed a historic year for Kenya. The Kenyan people decided and adopted a new Constitution that expressly declared among other things that Kenyan women have the fundamental right to their reproductive health and thus have in theory the subsequent right to access a safe abortion. In principle the structures are legally in place but implementing the same is a whole other ball game, four years later, majorly due to our socialization process and the notion that a woman exerting control over her own reproductive health right and her sexuality will threaten the existing gender norms and status quo.

According to Nancy Felipe Russo (1976) in the Journal of Social Issues Volume 32, she is of the opinion that abortion is highly stigmatized because it violates two fundamental ideals of womanhood; namely that of a nurturing mother and her sexual purity. She further propounds the notion that the litmus test of a being a ‘good woman’ is her desire to be a mother. This would naturally therefore conclude that a woman would be considered out rightly absurd, bad or awkward to not want to have children or worse still to terminate her pregnancy for whatever reason. Be that as it may, every culture and community is entitled to develop their own value system, social norms and beliefs, this line of thinking has however been the fallacy and the ghost of several generations past that continues to plague many societies to-date. 

It is important to recognize and acknowledge that whether we consider ourselves to be  ‘pro-choice’ or ‘pro-life’ is inextricably linked to our value system and that is perfectly acceptable and is peripheral in my opinion to the main issue at hand. I am of the considered view that we are all in a sinking boat if we think that ‘conversion’ (from pro-life to pro-choice and/or vice versa) from one camp to another is the solution to this quagmire that we find ourselves in. We can and have been belaboring with legal, moral, religious and philosophical justifications and arguments of why the practices should or should not be allowed, but I do find myself asking this rhetoric question sometimes out load -whether we really care about the women and girls affected? Or if that is not compelling enough, the following glaring writings on the wall.

According to the World Health Organisation, they report that in each year there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions in the World. This corresponds to mean that there are approximately 125,000 abortions happening every day. Further that nearly half of these abortions are un-safe and that 98% of the same occurs in the developing world. This obviously means that a woman’s likelihood of having an abortion is greatly elevated if she lives in a developing region! The reasons behind this are numerous and are largely due to inaccessibility of proper reproductive health rights and services, poverty, legal constraints as well as religious and cultural inhibitions.

 It would be redundant to effectively go through all the consequences of undergoing an un-safe abortion procedure here, but we cannot understate reports that show that 47,000 women die each year from complications directly resultant from procuring an un-safe abortion. If we believe in humanity and care even a little bit for these 47,000 women, then the issue to me is not whether we are for or against anything. The issue is we can do something about it-period! And that’s where our efforts and prioritize should be!

Before 1997, the Southern Africa sub-region abortion rates and deaths were dominated by South Africa. In 2008, they reported the lowest abortion rates in the entire continent at 15 per 1,000 women after they passed legislation that allowed for safe abortions. East Africa regrettably records the highest rate, at 38, followed by Middle Africa at 36, West Africa at 28 and North Africa at 18.

Nepal is a great case study that East African governments should consider looking into too. In 2010 the country was awarded an MDG Award for its commitment and progress toward achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 5 as related to improving maternal health. Nationwide introduction of safe abortion care was one of several strategies that helped Nepal nearly halve its maternal mortality ratio in the last decade, reducing the number of women who die from pregnancy-related complications from 415 to 229 per 100,000.The Nepalese government also issued directives that prohibit the recording of personal details of any woman accessing abortion services. The nation wide logo that is legally required to be displayed in all approved facilities throughout he hilly country is that of a faceless woman and the non-documentation strategy adopted aims to limit stigma in the society.

Nepali Safe Abortion Logo

Atlas Corps Public Webinar - Fellow Perspective Series

Friday, July 18, 2014 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (EDT)

Atlas Corps is professional fellowship for overseas development professionals. With a network of 300 leaders spanning 60 countries, we are sharing our Fellow perspectives with the world through this webinar series. Fellows will share perspectives on critical social issues they are passionate about and the solutions they have worked on in their home countries or at their host organizations.

Talk Synopsis: Gender Based Violence - Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the 21st Century

Every 10 seconds, somewhere in the world, a little girl is a victim of female genital mutilation. Three million girls are excised every year. The scary reality is that three million girls in ten years can easily translate to thirty million young girls and women having undergone this heinous act.

Unicef estimates that 100 to 140 million women and girls alive today are affected by FGM. About half of those women are in only 3 countries: 27 million in Egypt, 23 million in Ethiopia, and 20 million in Nigeria.

This public webinar aims to address the following; what is FGM, the numbers on the wall, the geographical distribution, and the evolution and possible solutions to address the same. This will be a participatory discussion and we encourage participants to contribute to the discussion.

How to participate:

1.    Pre-reading - Please review the pre-reading document to help contextualize the discussion.  

2.    Please click here for the live webinar. During this live version, you will be able to participate in the Q&A session. If you are unable to participate in the live conversation, you can still see the webinar after the broadcast here.

3.    Please fill out this survey after your participation so we can improve the public webinar experience for you.

About the Fellows:

Kate Kiama (Kenya)  & Smiti Gahrotra (India) are both Atlas Corps Fellows who are currently serving at Nike Foundation in Portland, Oregon.

Colour Kwa Face Charity Walk.Saturday 17th August Uhuru Gardens

Colour Kwa Face Foundation founded by Nonini has Partnered with Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) to bring you the Colour Kwa Face Charity Walk. The walk themed ‘Celebrating our differences’ will take place on Saturday 17th August from Uhuru gardens to Uhuru Park.

The Color Kwa Face Campaign was launched by Nonini in 2012 and sought to protect Albinos living in East Africa against discrimination and raise Sunscreen Lotions for families that cannot afford the precious commodity.

The charity walk intends to collect 100,000 sunscreen lotions, raise funds for education and create awareness of persons living with albinism.

To help in the campaign:

1.Plan to take part in the walk.

2.Buy a T-shirt at 1000 Kshs available at any Uchumi Supermarket.

3.Buy Sunscreen at Uchumi branches and drop them off at designated points in the same venue.

4. Buy a 2014 calendar that features Nonini with Persons Living With Albinism as Models at 1000Kshs

Sponsors who have also come onboard to support the cause are Standard Group,The Boma Hotels,Mo Sounds Events,Uchumi Supermarkets,Coca Cola,Radar Security,Stanford ellis Africa LTD,Still Motion Pichas,Partyz World.

All are Welcomed!!!
For more info you can visit www.colourkwaface.org