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a) Child Rights clubs in schools
Between March and August, 11 schools were mapped and Child Rights clubs were launched reaching 660 children. During these child rights clubs, the pupils are informed of their rights as children. Our child psychologist also offers psychosocial support to needy children in the school. The child rights clubs aim to empower, Inform and create awareness on child rights to both the students and teachers. Other topics covered include:
Peer psychosocial support strategies that minimize stigma
Behaviour change communication strategies that resonate with youth
Child Rights
Prohibition of FGM act 2011
b) Child safeguarding
During this period interventions were made where some children from the community were reported to be at risk. Two girls were rescued from early marriage, one of the girls is from our scholarship program and an 11-year-old girl from Ilbaan village. The two girls are safe now.
c) Community/stakeholder dialogue meeting
The program conducts stakeholder and community meetings to increase community knowledge on FGM, child rights and the law protecting these rights. These dialogues also offer a platform where the community can offer local solutions on how to deal with FGM, creating collective action against FGM. During this period, a dialogue meeting was held at Olesere with 85 community members in attendance.
d) Administration and government official meetings
The program has been actively involving the local administration and the County children’s office in its ant-FGM efforts. The collaboration helps to enforce the existing laws in case there is child abuse. They also play an integral part in the program as act as the linkage between the organization and the government.
In March, the Child Rights team visited the Narok-West sub-county Children’s office. During this meeting TMT an opportunity to be included in the area advisory FGM council. In the same month, Isaac met with the Anti-FGM director M/S Bernedette Loloju at the Anti-FGM offices in Nairobi. The meeting was meant to strengthen the partnership between TMT and the board. TMT was also updated on the current FGM standard operating procedures. In addition, discussions on the best time to effectively conduct ARP activities considering the changes on the school calendar in the country were held.
The Maa Trust received IEC material from the Anti-FGM board in Nairobi. Materials donated included 300 copies of a simplified version of the Prohibition of FGM Act 2011, 200 community FGM handbooks, 250 branded anti-FGM pens and 60 copies of community dialogue handbooks.
e) Anti-FGM and Child Rights Trainings
Fifteen mentors were trained from Aitong, Oloosokon, Olkimitari, Mara Rienda and Ololturoto villages. The mentors will support the Alternative Rights of Passage (ARP) program.
Adolescent and youth training workshops have been held in Talek, Mpuai, Ndoinyio and Ilbaan, reaching 32 youth.
Training in the Olare Orok cluster covering Oltepesi, Nkorbob, Enkikwei and Olare Owang targeted critical stakeholders including Village Elders, Nyumba-Kumi, Elders, Religious Leaders and Youth Leaders.
In efforts to reduce FGM, 25 women who are known FGM cutters were trained in Aitong, Endoinyo Erinka and Olare Orok. During this training the following topics were covered:
FGM as a barrier to Education
Child rights
Legal Frameworks that promotes the best interest of children (Children's Act 2001, Sexual offences act 2006, Constitution of Kenya 2010 and Prohibition of FGM 2011).
f) Psychosocial support
During this period 16 children in the scholarship programme, 3 staff, 5 children (2 Ilbaan, 3 Talek) were counselled and given psychosocial support.
g) Project deviations
Due to directives by the government on Covid 19, the project's activities were sometimes scaled-down.
Changes on the school calendar that resulted in shorter school holidays highly affected some of our activities. We have, therefore, reschedule some of these activities like the Alternative Rights of Passage which will now be held in April 2022.