funded by JICA Tokyo, under the JICA Partnership Programme ,
September 2021-on going

Project outline

Mwala Sub county is typically a rural setting with limited economic activities, and lack of employment opportunities with high poverty levels. This poor background has led to increased rural to urban migration mainly by men and some young women leaving most families especially children in the hands of grandparents who cannot effectively manage and control them. As a result many families become dysfunctional with children getting involved in sexual activities leading to early and unplanned pregnancies, and sexual related criminal offenses.

Unfortunately, when such offenses such as defilement are committed, the community tends to settle the cases internally through payment of compensation by an abuser/perpetrators.  According to Sexual offenses act (2006) all sexual intercourses with a minor is illegal and defilement is a grave crime punishable by a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life imprisonment depending on the age of the victim. This strict punishment regime has not been possible in most cases due to interference and collusion among the administrators, community and some family members.

This project therefore intends to address this phenomenon by developing and implementing community based prevention activities against sexual abuse or sexual intercourses with children, with the aim of promoting a gradual attitude change asking the community members. The program further aims at encouraging the community members and leaders to participate in sensitization to instill the right guidance and education for children to avoid early sexual intercourses and unexpected pregnancy and report cases of child sexual abuse to the police for legal action. This May reduce or eliminate the vice in the area.

A further reason for choosing the area is that, Mwala Sub-County has strong cultural values with close family and community ties supported by national government administration, chiefs and assistant chiefs who will be used to effectively implement the project activities.

For sustainability of the project, the programmed prevention activities will be undertaken by reliable and trusted community members themselves, not by outside experts.

The project aims at equipping community members with the adequate knowledge, skills and competencies on child protection in order to enhance their capacity in planning and implementing the community based child abuse prevention strategies in the area.

Planned Activities

1) Trainings of Early Pregnancy Prevention child protection for the selected community volunteers in the 13 targeted Sub-counties. 

2) Community volunteers plan and implement rehearsals of preventive activities of sexual abuse and early pregnancy for general community members at a preparatory meeting for a child protection activity in the 13 targeted Sub-counties.

3) Community volunteers form a team by a village cluster in each Sub-location and implement preventive activities of sexual abuse and early pregnancy to general community members.

4) Preventive activities by community volunteers as a team and submit to Mirai Future of Kenya and the respective assistant chiefs office

5) Monitoring preventive activities of sexual abuse and early pregnancy

6) Implementation of preventive activities by Community Volunteers on early pregnancy to the students in grade 6th to 8th as well as their parents in the selected primary schools

7) Feedback meetings with community volunteers and discuss possible preventive activities which enhance the quality of the shared contents and the share methods on the preventive activities.

Expected Outcomes

1. Capacity building skills of local leaders in preventing early pregnancy in planned activities and effective information sharing achieved,

2. Early pregnancy prevention activities implemented for general community members, pupils in primary schools and their parents/guardians.