In Kakamega and Bungoma Counties, CARE Kenya through Beiersdorf Project is working to empower communities amidst the challenges amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. With an impact group of Girls and young women (15-24 yrs) 80%, this partnership is dedicated to enhancing access to essential health services, promoting gender equality, and strengthening economic resilience in a supportive non-discriminative environment.
Key outcomes of the collaboration include:
Youths during a quarterly reflection dialogue session in Kakamega County. Promote Awareness on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and COVID-19: The project includes multiple initiatives to raise awareness about SRH, GBV, and COVID-19. These initiatives feature radio shows focusing on SRH, GBV, and COVID-19 education, an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system delivering key messages, and quarterly community dialogues led by champions.
Health facilities supported to provide SRH & GBV youth-friendly guidance and counseling services: The project strengthens the skills of frontline health workers is essential to ensure they provide responsive and accountable care tailored to young people. Additionally, fostering community engagement through youth-led community scorecards and quarterly dialogue sessions on SRH and GBV brings together youth, community members, and opinion leaders, facilitating meaningful discussions and driving positive change.
Challenging harmful social norms- Beiersdorf Project engages local communities to challenge retrogressive social norms that perpetuate GBV and teenage pregnancies through CARE’s Gender Transformative Approaches, in particular Social Analysis and Action (SAA) tool. Through SAA dialogues, young women and girls have access an inclusive and supportive environment to talk about issues affecting them in their community.
Strengthening Economic resilience- Through initiatives like Youth Savings and Loan Associations (YSLAs), Beiersdorf Project equips young women and girls with tools and resources to build economic resilience. The project prioritizes enrolling interested young women and girls in short technical skills training at TVET institutions, after that, they granted start-up kit. These programs help mitigate the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, empowering women to sustain livelihoods and support their families.
Empowering girls today means building resilience for tomorrow. Through the Beiersdorf Project, CARE Kenya is transforming lives by promoting health, challenging harmful norms, and fostering economic strength. Together, we are creating a future where young women can thrive, no matter the challenges they face.
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