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Mobilising support example:
'Seeds scattered aimlessly bring forth disaster'

Preparing a meeting on teenage pregnancy with girl students
Interactive session on teenage pregnancies with girl students
Price giving day to motivate and encourage girls to learn hard and attain good results
OrganisationPamoja Child Foundation
Websitehttps://pcfkenya.org/
CountryKenya
TypeCBO
TopicSexual and Reproductive Rights

Summary

The campaign 'Kodhi Mikworo aoyaye kelo midhiero' (seeds that are scattered aimlessly bring forth disaster) aims at reducing the number of teenage pregnancies in several areas of Kisumu County.


Problem analysis

When children reach the age of 8 years it is no longer culturally accepted that they sleep in the same room as their parents/caregivers. They therefore look for alternative places to sleep. This could be the kitchen, or a grandmothers house, but also houses of relatives living in towns. Together with poor parenting, lack of guidance and counselling, peer influence and the inability of parents to fulfil the basic needs of their children this constitutes a factor in the increase of teenage pregnancies within Nyando and Muhoroni sub counties.

Solution analysis

Providing education on sexual and reproductive rights by advising teenage girls to:
-Focus and concentrate more on education.
-Be more assertive when approached for sexual encounters by boys and men.
-Engage more in co-curriculum activities while in school and in church groups while at home.
-Overcome negative peer influence and pressure.

Stakeholder analysis

Which stakeholders (NGO’s, government, private sector) did you identify as allies and how did you involve them?
Teachers, Board of Management, Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Children’s Department, Pamoja Child Foundation, Bamburi Cement, school sponsors, Kenya Advanced Alliance for the Rights of the Child and some parents. After the session with the girls (beneficiaries) the plight of the girls was shared with the stakeholders and they clearly showed interest and positive response.

Which stakeholders did you identify as neutral and how did you mobilise them?
Kenya Commercial Bank – Kisumu branch, some parents, members of County Assembly, the Commanding Officer of the Awasi police station.

Which stakeholders did you identify as opponents and why were they opposed?
Sugarcane cutters and motorcycle operators were identified as opponents, because in most cases they are the ones who seduce young girls with money or a free lift and then defile them.
Before the campaign the opponents were unapproachable. However, they have since become more willing to be engaged in the foundation's activities. For example, some motorcycle operators were involved in the training and discussions about the role they play in the issue of teenage pregnancies.

How did you involve your beneficiaries in the stakeholder analysis/campaign?
The girls had a discussion session in which they managed to identify most of the stakeholders.

Short description of the organisation implementing the action/campaign

Pamoja Child Foundation is a Community Based Organisation based in Awasi Location, Nyando Sub County, Kisumu County. The organisation was founded in 2001 to address the plight of orphans and vulnerable children. Pamoja’s vision is 'A society with a conducive environment for children to grow up in, so they can fully develop themselves to be self-reliant and responsible citizens' and their motto: 'Think in the best interest of the child'. Pamoja strives to enable all children, especially Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), to exercise their rights to education, health, protection and improved livelihood, so they can develop themselves to their full potential.  Pamoja Child Foundation has four strategies: individual sponsorship; community groups’ empowerment; schools as a safe haven; networking & collaboration with partners in various counties. The Mobilising Support training by Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) has really changed Pamoja Child Foundation's approach to the campaign on reducing the high rate of teenage pregnancies. Before, Pamoja only used the training on Sexuality Education for Adolescents (SEA). As a result of the training they realised that SEA training alone was insufficient. Improvements made included: identification and engagement of both allies and opponents using different approaches and techniques. The most critical change, however, is to also engage the beneficiaries who are the most affected.

Action period
February 2016 - 31 December 2017

Objectives
1. To reduce cases of teenage pregnancy by 30% by 2017 within Awasi and Nyang’oma locations in Kisumu County.
2. To identify relevant stakeholders to be engaged in the campaign against teen pregnancies.
3. To involve over 50% of the identified stakeholders by 2017.

Action results
Objective 1. The reduction of teen pregnancies:
1. Pamoja managed to break the silence on sexuality issues among the girls who are the beneficiaries. The girls are now speaking up and reporting to teachers or educating other girls. Some pupils and students have improved on their self-esteem and can express themselves better.   
2. Pamoja identified some of the common causes of teenage pregnancies.   
3. Pamoja identified some possible options/alternatives for engagement of the beneficiaries. For example, within the area Catholic is a major denomination, so some secondary school girls have joined altar service teams and youth groups where they go every Saturday evening and Sunday from early morning. Some are attending 3-5 day retreats offered by the parish, where they have to present songs, drama and poems. Preparing the items to present takes the better part of their leisure time. All these activities help them to stay out of trouble.

Objective 2. To identify relevant stakeholders.
Pamoja managed to identify the relevant stakeholders, which are the beneficiaries i.e. girls (pupils & students), policy makers (Members of County Assemblies), and the motorcycle operators.

Objective 3. To engage over 50% of the identified stakeholders.
Pamoja managed to engage over 50% (14 stakeholders) of the stakeholders identified. These included teachers, Board of Management, Ministry of Education, Children’s Department, some banks, Pamoja Child Foundation, motorcycle operators, school sponsors, parents, 2 Members of County Assembly – Kisumu County, sugarcane cutters, OCS Awasi police station and Kenya Advanced Alliance for the Rights of the Child.

As a result of the campaign decision makers have become more easily approachable and share Pamoja's concern over the teen pregnancies issue.  For example one of the Members of the County Assembly told Pamoja Foundation that he will discuss with his counterpart from the neighbouring ward how to introduce some initiatives there as well, given that girls from both wards have a lot in common.

During the campaign strong partnerships and team work have developed. Bamburi Cement Company donated 200 bags of cement for the construction of a classroom at Nyalenda Girls secondary school. Nyando Constituency CDF (Child Development Fund) provided KES 600.000 for the completion of two classrooms. Pamoja Child Foundation has embraced the team spirit by visiting, inviting and consulting other stakeholders. They share what they do and since then, what used to look like competition, has changed into more collaboration, acknowledgement and appreciating each other's work.

Description of preparatory activities
1. Problem identification.
2. Identification of possible responses.
3. Stakeholder analysis.
4. Decision making.
5. Action plan.
6. Message preparation.
7. Sharing of the message (presentation).

Description of implementation
1. Pamoja Child Foundation organised a group discussion with secondary school girls to identify in order of priority the challenges which they are experiencing; teenage pregnancy was rated first.
2. Through group discussion, the beneficiaries managed to identify possible alternative actions to reduce sexual encounters.
3. A literature review was conducted of the reports of Pamoja to identify the mentioned stakeholders. Furthermore, the known stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education-Children's department were visited for inquiries. Additionally, a compilation of the list of identified stakeholders was done. 
4. The findings from the identified stakeholders were analysed and an implementation plan developed.
5. The objective, targeted audience, facilitators, venue and dates were identified and well spelled out.
6. A brainstorm session among the facilitators was conducted and a key message was developed to summarise the whole idea.
7.  A session was conducted involving beneficiaries where the key message was delivered through a participatory session. This was done in the school compound.

Description of time investment
The implementation took approximately 11 days.

Costs
The Board of Management of Nyalenda Girls Secondary School, realising the importance of appreciating the girls who got their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, decided to hold the first ever education price giving day, in the presence of the current students and all parents. This was presided over by the school's female role models (School Board members, Principal and Deputy Principal) and meant to encourage all girls to study hard and attain good results.
On the same day the School Strategic Plan was discussed and validated. A member of the Board of Management, also involved in Pamoja Child Foundation, paid KES 2.000 towards holding the price giving day. KES 1.500 was spent on type-setting, printing and photocopying guiding materials and the draft of the strategic plan.

Follow up
Three follow up visits were made to Nyalenda Girls Secondary school.

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