Some 863 young girls in God Jope Ward, Suna East Constituency of Migori County have received a donation of sanitary towels and undergarments in a bid to curb teenage pregnancy, courtesy of area Member of County Assembly (MCA), Charles Koyoo.

According to Koyoo, the donation is one of the initiatives taken to save the girls from being lured by young men into unplanned sex with the promise of getting them goodies in return.

At the same time, the MCA explained that the exercise was aimed at supporting parents who are unable to provide such basic and important items to their daughters.

‘Some fathers abscond their responsibilities of caring for their young girls to their wives who are not capable of doing so. It is with this in mind that I have strived to donate these items to help preserve the dignity of our daughters while in school.’ elaborated Koyoo.

The girls, he observed, are always exposed, leaving them stranded and at the mercy of preying men.

He regretted that runaway poverty in the region had led t
o the steady rise of teenage pregnancies, early marriage and acts of immorality among school girls in his ward and across the county and that pragmatic steps must now be taken urgently to stop the vice.

Mr. Koyoo also blamed the collapse of tobacco and sugarcane industries in the region for the adverse poverty that has hindered most parents from taking care of their families.

‘In my ward most parents were tobacco growers and sugarcane farmers. But since the collapse of these activities, most parents are now struggling to provide for their families. They cannot afford to procure sanitary towels and other needs of young girls, ‘he said.

He added that he will be providing sanitary towels every term to ensure that girls are safe and are in school to pursue their careers uninterrupted.

His move was warmly welcomed by the young girls who acknowledged the challenges they face while undertaking their education.

‘We are greatly humbled with what our MCA has done for us. Getting sanitary towels is a challenge beca
use some of our parents don’t have money at the time we need them,’ said Verah Aoko, one of the beneficiaries.

Mary Atieno, a parent, lauded the kind gesture by the MCA and cautioned the girls not to be duped by young men with the promise of buying them sanitary towels and undergarments.

The donations comprised of 3 pairs of underwear pants, a pair of biker pants, and three sanitary pads for each of the 863 adolescent girls across the ward.

Source: Kenya News Agency

It’s a sigh of relief for the parents and guardians of 120 needy students who excelled in KCPE after a non-governmental organisation awarded them a ten-year scholarship covering secondary and university education.

Parents and students keenly following the handing over of scholarships at the Star of the Sea Hall in Mombasa. Photo by Sadik Hassan

Hatua Network, incepted in 2007 by Peter Kwame and Gabrielle Fondiller, who were conducting research at the Likoni Ferry Crossing channel, has so far sponsored 1000 children from underprivileged families to access education.

Hatua Network Executive Director Gabrielle Fondiller says they were interviewing street vendors selling tomatoes, potatoes, and bananas on the side of the road.

‘We were learning about the ways their incomes support their families, how their income is unable to support their families, and how they manage those challenging situations,’ said Fondiller at the Star of the Sea Hall in Mombasa.

‘We realised that across every parent that we spoke to
, every person working hard to raise their children, their number one aspiration was to provide their kids with better quality education so the kids can live a quality life in the future,’ she added.

To give back to the vendors, the duo decided to sponsor seven children of the vendors they had interviewed, but due to overwhelming demand and the impact, they had to increase the number of beneficiaries.

This year, the organisation received more than 1000 applications. Applicants were selected based on KCPE performance and the level of need. They will receive secondary school and university scholarships, mentoring, soft skills, counselling, and guidance.

‘As of today,’ says Fondiller, ‘we have sponsored 1,000 students, which we are very excited about.’

The students from underprivileged families doing well in school were selected with the support of teachers from across the public schools in Mombasa.

Speaking at the event, Mombasa County Executive for Education and Digital Transformation, Mbwarali Kame, laud
ed the organisation for augmenting the county government’s efforts in education. He welcomed other organisations to roll out similar programmes.

‘We have been working closely with Hatua Network, and soon we will have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). We are scouting for an area where the organisation will build a modern library in Mombasa County. The MOU is in the pipeline, and the modern library will be realised soon,’ revealed CECM Kame.

Mwanzala Obuya, a beneficiary of the scholarship from the Likoni constituency, could not hide her joy after her dream to join secondary school became a reality.

‘Today I am happy and honoured to be awarded a scholarship by Hatua Network. I know everything I want, and the school that I am going to will pay for me,’ she said.

On their part, parents expressed their gratitude to the organisation, noting that the scholarship will play a vital role in their children’s future.

Peris Kule, a parent, said, ‘I am excited that my son has gotten a scholarship; I am grateful I h
ad no means; now he will be educated from secondary to university. I will tell him to work hard to break the vicious cycle of poverty.’

Source: Kenya News Agency