Wasichana Wafaulu

Girls Education Challenge (GEC – T) project:  commonly referred to as “Wasichana Wetu Wafaulu” is a DFID funded project that is supporting some of the most marginalised communities across Kenya by first having a deep understanding of the highly challenging barriers girls face in accessing education then uses the understanding to bring out the enormous potential of our girls, while committed to help them achieve their potential. The ambitious vision for our GEC Transition (GEC-T) project Wasichana Wetu Wafaulu (“Let Our Girls Succeed”) is enable each of our 72,000 girls enrolled into the program complete education and transition to the next level. The level would be Secondary or TVET for thpse unable to continue with mainstream education. Currently in primary school, the project main target area is for the learners to complete their current phase of education, achieve improved literacy and Numeracy learning outcomes and transition successfully to a productive and positive next phase.  In implementation, the project is guided by research, for example at baseline assessment it was noted that there is School-related, gender-based violence: Girls FGDs in both urban slums and ASALs revealed the presence of gender-based violence (GBV) in schools across the counties visited. The GBV was perpetrated by boys, teachers and community members and tolerated by BOMs. This finding has informed the intervention that we have been using to address SGBV in the school set up. The project also addresses the Impact of Gender Inequalities and Marginalisation on Girls’ Education. To be able to realise the best result the project focuses on intervention around the girl in four areas; the Girl herself, the girls in School, the girl In the community and the Girl at home.

Girls’ Sponsorship

School Infrastructure

Construction of an entire secondary school Fafi girls’ secondary school, the first Girls Secondary school in Fafi Sub County. This was from identification of land, fencing, construction, and equipping. Setting up classrooms, kitchen, dormitory, laboratory, IGA, dairy goats and poultry. The project was done in partnership with Safaricom foundation and the local community. Construction of water collection system and equipping of laboratory We did this project at for Hulugho girls’ secondary school in Ijara sub county, Banane secondary school, renovation and equipment of laboratory, toilets and roof water collection. Water storage tank was installed, 10000 litres. Supply of lab equipment and establishment of poultry farm at Madogashe secondary Lagdera sub county. Construction of dining hall, equipping of Science laboratory equipment and construction of school dispensary at Umusalama girls secondary school Construction of laboratory and dining hall At, Iftin Girls secondary school. A climate change in Schools intervention project was successfully implemented in 20 schools in Tana River county, 8 schools were supported with installation of energy saving JIKOS, solar system in 6 schools Establishment of kitchen gardens in 6 schools, environmental support (tree planting, environmental clubs in schools) in all 20 schools, renovation in 2 schools. Equipped 8 schools with desks. Within the 20 schools there was training of 900 girls on leadership and mentorship skills. Hygiene kits were also provided for 900 girls in partnership with WHH, GCN.

Policy Advocacy

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Sexual Reproduction

Sexual and reproductive health is a fundamental human right as well as human development issue that states must strive to fulfill. This right is guaranteed in various international and regional human rights instruments as well as national laws and policies. Kenya is a state party to various international and regional human rights instruments that guarantee the right to sexual and reproductive health. Furthermore, the Constitution of Kenya 2010, for the first time guarantees the right to health care including reproductive health. The girls and women sexual and reproductive rights related to multiple human rights including, the rights to be free from torture, the right to information and the right to quality health. For many years, PGI has been working on advocating for the rights of women and girls in Pastoralist region. We support the rights of women and girls to make informed choices in relation to their reproductive health from coercion, violence and discrimination. Our approaches have been to eliminate harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation, and Early Marriages. Girls and women have been frequently subjected to serious violations, including sexual violence. Inequality  Pastoralist Girls Initiative believes that to overcome gender inequality and social norms which hinder women and girl’s rights to sexual and reproductive health rights. Culture should not justify traditional activities to discriminate and harm girls and women. Religious/Opinion leaders and men should be involved in overcoming inequality challenges. Pastoralist Girls Initiative is committed to advocate against stigma, discrimination and violence towards women and girls. Access to information on SRHR Lack of access to information on sexual and reproductive health right has contributed to high levels of morbidity and mortality for preventable SRH problems. Global, every year half a million women die during childbirth because of there in not skilled attendant present at the birth. Women and girls access to reliable information on SRHR is essential in improving their health quality. This increase women and girls become more effective in accessing correct and comprehensive knowledge on SRHR. Pastoralist Girls Initiative ensure that women and girls receive accurate information on SRHR. We advocate for comprehensive education to enable women and girls to develop skills and knowledge to make informed decision to overcome discrimination and harmful gender norms. Engage National and County Governments  Women and Girls are the most vulnerable and excluded groups in the pastoralist communities. Advocating for the rights of girls and women seems more important now than ever given the powerful forces pushing back against advances towards gender equality at local and national level. Pastoralist Girls Initiative work to ensure that national and county governments are held to account for their commitments to girls’ and women’s rights. We will work with local communities, religious/ opinion leaders, girls, women and partners to ensure that we are advocating on the issues that matter, as effectively as possible. We support girls and women to take the lead to change, take action and build networks for realizing the rights of girls and women. Child Marriages  An estimated 23% of girls are married before their 18th birthday in Kenya. Child marriage rates vary across regions, with the North Eastern and Coast regions having the highest prevalence rates, while the Central region and Nairobi have the lowest rates. A high prevalence of HIV in Kenya means that young married girls are particularly at risk. In a study in Kisumu, 33% of married girls surveyed were infected with HIV as opposed to 22% for their sexually active, unmarried counterparts. (Figures from Girls Not Bride) Girls from North Eastern and Coastal parts of Kenya are often perceived by their families as either an economic burden or valued as capital for their exchange value in terms of goods, money and livestock. To justify these economic transactions, a combination of cultural, traditional and religious arguments is often employed. Child marriage is a gross violation of human rights and a barrier to girls’ health and social well-being. It severely impedes Kenya’s development efforts including undermining initiatives to raise girls’ education, to reduce maternal mortality, and to increase employment and enterprise levels. Female Genital Mutilation Female Genital Mutilation comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons (WHO). It is also sometimes referred to as female genital cutting or female circumcision. There are no health benefits to FGM and it is recognized internationally as a human rights violation. In 2011 the Government enacted the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act. The Act not only criminalized FGM for underage girls but for everyone and, in a bid to tackle social pressure, also banned the stigmatization of women who had not undergone FGM Pastoralist Girls Initiative work on FGM PGI works in Northern Kenya to safeguard girls at risk of FGM and support women affected. We do this through direct community engagement, stir up local champions who defend the rights of the girl child. Champions who is now an anti-FGM advocate and speaks to their community, especially other female circumcisers, to abandon the harmful practice and advocacy. By working with our national and county governments, international community, non-governmental organizations and communities, together we can accelerate action towards a total and final end to FGM. 2 million girls under 15 are at risk of FGM in the Kenya FGM in Kenya is practiced by some of its most traditional communities such as the Samburu, Maasai, and Somali. Therefore, even as the country has made significant progress in reducing the national prevalence of FGM from 32, these communities still have FGM prevalence rates as high as 86, 78, and 94 per cent respectively Unicef report Menstruation Hygiene Menstruation is a normal biological process and a key sign of reproductive health, yet in many cultures it is treated as something negative, shameful or dirty. The continued silence around menstruation combined with limited access to information at home and in schools results in millions of women and girls having very little knowledge about what is happening to their bodies when they menstruate and how to deal with it. Somali Community have beliefs, myths and taboos relating to menstruation. Almost always, there are social norms or unwritten rules and practices about managing menstruation and interacting with menstruating women and girls. Some of these are helpful but others have potentially harmful implications. For example, in Somali Community, women and girls are told that during their menstrual cycle they should not bathe or they will become infertile, they should not sit on seats that are used by men of boys or they become pregnant, look in a mirror or it will lose its brightness), or touch a plant or it will die. Cultural norms and taboos on menstruation are often compounded by traditional associations with evil spirits, shame and embarrassment surrounding sexual reproduction. Women and girls’ capacity to manage their periods is affected by a number of other factors, including limited access to affordable and hygienic sanitary materials and disposal options leaving many to manage their periods in ineffective, uncomfortable and unhygienic ways. In some contexts, natural materials such as mud, leaves, dung or animal skins are used to manage the menstrual flow (UNESCO 2013, Puberty Education and Menstrual Hygiene Management). These problems are further exacerbated by insufficient access to safe and private toilets and lack of clean water and soap for personal hygiene. As a result, menstruating girls and women often feel ashamed and embarrassed. Pastoralist Girls Initiative is committed to addressing the social beliefs and stigmas surrounding menstruation. Together with local governments and schools we are training district health workers, teachers and volunteers. We also distribute menstrual hygiene materials in schools and teach girls how to manage their periods so they feel confident and stay in school.

Non Communicable Diseases

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been on the rise in Kenya over the past decade, responsible for over 55 per cent of deaths, and still stand as one of the world’s most challenging health, social and economic issues in Kenya. NCDs can be defined as chronic diseases that are not transmissible. They constitute a large group of diseases that are of long duration, and generally slow to progress, with the 4 main types of non-communicable diseases being cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructed pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes. In ASAL counties, the common risk factors for developing these chronic diseases are such as poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, exposure to tobacco and harmful use of alcohol are near ubiquitous, contributing to the rapid rise of NCDs globally and impacting on many other areas of human and economic development. While the traditional understanding of NCDs portrays it as a problem of the old and wealthy, the new reality is that the burden of diseases from NCDs lies disproportionately in LMICs. Contrary to popular opinion, available data demonstrate that nearly 80% of NCD deaths occur in LMICs. Since the landmark 2011 UN Summit, there has been a greater appreciation of the emerging burden of NCDs in LMICS. However, despite repeat calls for action, the NCD burden is increasing unchecked.

Maternal Mortality

Maternal mortality refers to deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth. From 2000 to 2017, the global maternal mortality ratio declined by 38 per cent – from 342 deaths to 211 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to UN inter-agency estimates. This translates into an average annual rate of reduction of 2.9 per cent. While substantive, this is less than half the 6.4 per cent annual rate needed to achieve the Sustainable Development global goal of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. In Kenya the current Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 362 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, and the still birth rate of 23 deaths per 1000 live births is far below the target of 147 maternal mortalities per 100,000 live births and 12 stillbirths per 1000 live births respectively. In Garissa the MMR is still high with 646 deaths per 100,000 live births while in Tana River also have a High Maternal Mortality rate of 395/100,000 live births against a National 362/100,000 live births; High Neonatal Mortality rate of 39/ 1000 live births National 29/100,000 live births (KDHS 2014)

Bilan Girl Talk

Bilan Girls Talk is first and foremost a space by girls for girls. It is a program that centers girl’s narratives and humanizes their experiences. This where girls can safely and comfortably critique, share experiences, exchange ideas and form solidarity through conversations aimed to incentivize social change. The program aims to help girls to build their confidence and self esteem and in turn break different myths and stereotypes regarding the interactions of girls as a collective. A project of Pastoralist Girls Initiative hopes that in these spaces and the resources provided, girls can start to form sisterhood and see the importance of supporting each other. We understand that as individuals, girls are powerful but as a sisterhood, they are forces that cannot be denied. We believe dialogue is a first step to making social change- as one girl talks, another girl finds her voice and her power. Bilan Girls talk brings together girls from different stages of life so they can empower each other. Even though there are millions of girls, they all are connected through one common bond: Sisterhood.  For that reason, Girl talk is one way for girls to channel sisterhood. Why Girls Conversation  While girls have different lived experiences from each other, they go through the same exact thing. They all are trying to navigate and make their way in societies where being a girl is still not easy. It is without a doubt that being a girl in this world comes with barriers. Growing up, there are structural systems that teach both girls and boys how to engage in society and thus give each of us our roles in society. From birth, to our interactions with our mothers, to our participation in schools all these spaces socialize girls. They define what it means to be a girl, what womanhood entails, who fits into this narrative and how to perform as a girl. The normalization of the inferiority of girls and the suffering they go through becomes part of our everyday life. In society, girls are told what their place is, what their roles are. Due to the normalization of the gender roles, girls become silenced. It is, therefore, important for girls to be aware of this socialization, talk about their issues, and speak about how they envision themselves locating and using their power. And this can start in spaces and conversations such as Girl Talk.

How to be Involved with Bilan Girl Talk

We recognize that these conversations and spaces provided by Bilan Girl Talk are important and necessary for girls. For this reason, we envision the expansion of Bilan Girl Talk to occur in our schools, communities and counties. We aim to reach young girls across counties to share with them the power that is sisterhood and solidarity. With this expansion, girls can be involved with Bilan Girl Talk in whichever county within the arid and semi arid counties and through our Girl Talk Ambassadors. Bilan Girl Talk Ambassadors are young girls who are passionate about the social and economic empowerment of girl, who organize Girl Talk programs in their designated counties. They work with the Program Officer of Girls Lead to identify sponsors, potential panelists, and theme topics. Girl Talk Ambassadors are the heart of Bilan Girl Talk as they interact more with the local communities in designated communities. The Application for Girl Talk Ambassadors can be found here: Bilan Girls Talk Ambassador Application At Pastoralist Girls Initiative, we envision the growth of Bilan Girls Talk to happen in every county within arid and semi arid region of Kenya. We Believe the conversations had in Bilan Girls Talks are necessary in every community and are determined to deliver this empowerment, sisterhood and solidarity to all young girls across Northern Kenya. Bilan Girls Talk Ambassadors are young women and girls interested in being a part of Bilan Girls Talk and making this vision of bring these conversations to their community. Bilan Girls Talk Ambassadors are located in every community, and work to develop conversations they believe to be beneficial for the communities they live in and organize Bilan Girl Talk in their communities. The Ambassadors are the heart of Bilan Girls Talk because they are located in the communities. They are able to have this conversation with other young women and girls on a daily. Ambassadors get mentorship and training from the Program Officer of Bilan Girls Talk program and work closely with her as they organize Bilan Girls Talks. At Pastoralist Girls Initiative, we are looking for young women and girls passionate about girl’s issues, who are aware of systemic and structural inequalities. In the end, we hope that this will contribute to the success of their programs. Roles of Bilan Girls Talk Ambassadors:

• Work closely with Program Officer of Bilan Girls Talk on identifying counties to have Bilan Girls Talk
• Identifying potential sponsors
• Planning and organizing Bilan Girl Talk in their communities
• Identifying girl’s panelists to invite
• Providing information on potential venue, and the costs related

Skills and Knowledge of Bilan Girls Talks Ambassadors 

• Impeccable time managers
• Exceptional communication skills
•  Work excellently in teams and independently
• Enthusiastic about Bilan Girls Talk and its vision

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Girls Camp

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