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The official Kenya Country Programme newsletter

JUKWAA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

PHOENIX AWARD

Day of the African Child

Every Last ChildLearning

from the ESHE project in Kenya

How we celebrated in Kenya

Children lead the Launch in Kenya

ISSUE 1: APRIL - JUNE 2016

Save the ChildrenLetu

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CONTENT

3. Kenya scoops 2016

PHOENIX award

4. DAC celebrations in

Kenya

5. Early Marriage...

Hindiya’s story

6. Meet special Baby

Mckline

7. Launch of the Every

Last Child in Kenya

8. My first field visit -

Ntinyari’s experience

10. Our work with teenage

mothers in Dadaab

and much more

JUKWAA Letu

EDITORIAL

We would like to heartily welcome you to ‘JUKWAA Letu’ the first issue of the Kenya Country programme newsletter.

JUKWAA Letu means our platform in swahili. This newsletter aims to publicise the impact of the ongoing Save the Children programmes in Kenya and provide a platform for staff and partners to share ideas, experiences and learning.

JUKWAA Letu is the first in a series: the editorial team hopes to produce the newsletter quarterly, and therefore looks forward to your contributions whether you are directly involved in project implementation or you are part of the operations team that makes implementation possible.

Besides the sections already featured in this newsletter - including case studies and stories from different events across our field offices, new sections are foreseen in the future, depending on the articles submitted.

We hope that you will find this newsletter both interesting and informative, and we look forward to your contributions.

Karibuni (welcome)

Duncan Harvey

Country Director

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Save the Children’s annual Phoenix Competition is a contest that celebrates programs that learn from ‘what went wrong.’

The Kenya Country Office was declared the winner of this years competition during the members meeting held in New York in June 2016

Kenya was among the three finalists invited to make a presentation at the members meeting. Dr Angela Muriuki, the Head of Child Survival represented Kenya and made a presentation on ESHE - a DFID funded family planning programme implemented in Wajir and Mandera counties of Northern Kenya.

Dr Muriuki said: During phase one of the ESHE implementation, the programme failed to meet targets as its top-down design hadn’t effectively taken into account the working reality on the ground, resource allocation and stakeholder engagement. Noting the failure of the project, we used evidence, deliberate continuous reflection, and feedback from children and communities to identify and address program failures, all in support of increasing our impact.”

“By addressing these issues (and more) from 2015 to 2016, family planning uptake has more than doubled - showing that learning from failure can lead to stronger outcomes

for families,” Said Dr Muriuki

The two other finalists were El Salvador Country Office, who presented on an adolescent development program that failed to engage fathers despite efforts to do so; and Ethiopia Country Office who presented an adolescent sexuality education program that was closed down due to rumors on social media.

Kenya wins PHOENIX award

“We as a movement can join together to maximize each other’s strengths but also learn from each other’s weaknesses so we

don’t repeat the same mistakes.”

Gugulethu Ndebele, Save the Children South Africa CEO

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Day of the African ChildCelebrations in Kenya

The 2016 Day of the African Child was observed under the theme, “Conflict and Crisis in Africa: Protecting all Children’s Rights.” Save the Children participated in the national celebrations which were held in Lodwar, Turkana County to highlight child protection issues in the county

Speaking at the event, Duncan Harvey, Save the Children Kenya County Director said: “Conflict is the biggest poison in development. In every conflict, it is the children who are vulnerable and bear the greatest brunt of the conflict. Africa marks this important day to celebrate the African child and reflect on issues that stifle the enjoyment of their rights.”

Ms Susan Mochache, the Principal Secretary of Social Security and Services in the Kenyan Ministry of Labour and East Africa Affairs said: “Parents, teachers and relatives are the main perpetrators of violence against children. This fact implies deterioration in family values, hence the need to ensure that functioning families remain at the epicenter of the healthy growth of children.”

“Because of the poor quality of schooling in Turkana County, only 19 percent of pupils in the county transition to secondary school. In addition, school-going girls often grow apart from their communities and can even be abandoned by their families, who refer to these girls as ‘children of the government,’ said Ms Margaret Kuchar, the County Executive Committee member in charge of education, human resources development, culture, and social services

All who spoke on the occasion were in agreement that wars and conflicts put children in situations where their rights are violated, including their right to life, their right

to live in a family environment, their right to health, their right to education, and their right to survival and development.

Partners who attended the event inlcuded: Department of Children Services, the National Council for Children’s Services, Turkana County government officials, UNICEF, Handicap International, World Vision, The Cradle, International Rescue Committee, Child Fund, the Kenya Red Cross, and members of the local community-based organizations.

The Bungoma Save the Children team joined other partners in celebrations at Chelebei Secondary School in Cheptais. During the event the Bungoma Child Rights Network launched a campaign dubbed ‘Tissue papers to primary schools in Bungoma’, as a sanitation campaign for primary school children.

The Wajir team joined a children led procession across Griftu town and later listened to poems and skits on Violence Against Children. Save the Children also donated buckets through the County Children’s Department to support households of children who were affected by conflict

Our new global campaign for children (Every Last Child) is driven by our mission to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting

change in the life of every last child.

Duncan Harvey, Country Director Save the Children in Kenya

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“My name is Paul and I am 15 years old. My mother’s name is Nasanyana and my father’s name is Erupe. In the year 2013 while my father and I were grazing our animals there was a raid at Loriu village and my father was shot dead. Myself I was shot in the leg and could not walk.”

“I did not know what my future will look like. My father was gone, and I was losing one leg.”

Paul was taken to Lodwar County and Referral Hospital where his leg was amputated. After several months he was referred to St. John Paul 2 Lokichar home for physical impairment with the support of the Diocese of Lodwar.

Paul says: “When I was sent to St John Paul home, my leg had been cut and it was still healing. At the home, they cared for my wound for several months and it healed. In 2014, Save the Children paid for my new leg, it was fitted and it changed my life.”

“Before the raid, I was not going to school. With the new leg, I started school. This was something new to me as I had never known I will be in school one day. I am now in class two. I wish to be a teacher or a leader one day.”

St. John Paul home is my second home and during holidays I go home to my family. They are happy that I lead a normal life and I go to school, something they never knew would happen after the raid

Paul is one among the children with disabilities receiving support from Save the Children under the disability project funded by Christian Blind Mission. The project works closely with St John Paul II center for the disabled in Lokichar to identify and support these children so that they can live a normal life.

With the new leg, I started school

Adolescent girls in Northern Kenya are subjected to a myriad of challenges including early marriage that prevent them from accessing education and attaining their full potential. 15 year old Hindiya from Wajir County is one of these young adolescent girls who, due to forced marriage, had never gone through education, not even pre-primary school.

“My husband is 30. My marriage was not something I was prepared for. It is my parents who arranged the whole thing without me knowing and it was really a painful experience. I met my husband for the first time on the wedding day.

Hindiya, who does not have a child yet, participated as a respondent in the Save the Children led Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI-K) survey conducted in 2015 targeting adolescent girls aged 11 – 14 years old. She was eligible for the program since she was 14 at the time of the survey.

Together with her parents, Hindiya attended the program sensitisation meetings where topical issues affecting the wellbeing of adolescent girls were discussed. She started participating in the ‘safe spaces’ where girls are tutored on topics such as early marriage, leadership, communication and decision making, gender based violence, sexual and reproductive rights, gender norms and more.

Inspired by the sensitisation meetings, safe spaces, conditional cash transfers and other basic supplies such as school kits, Hindiya, with the support of her parents and spouse, decided to enroll in the only primary school in her village and is already in her second year with great scores. “I want to complete school and become a teacher so that I can speak up for girls education, educate my community and support younger girls so that they don’t get married early. You see, getting married early almost killed my dream for education.”

Early marriage almost killed my dream for education

Cont’inued on page 5

By Hussein Abdi Ahmed, Programnme Officer, Wajir

By Jesca Lomongin, Community Liaison Officer, Turkana

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Meet Baby Mckline: A special delivery from Save the Children and GSK partnershipMckline is a special little boy. Almost two years old, he lives in Bungoma, Kenya with his parents Catherine and Fredrick. They are already saving for his education and have ambitions for him to be an engineer one day.

Mckline was the first baby to be born in Bumula Sub County Hospital, a GSK supported Ministry of Health (MoH) facility in Bungoma, Kenya. His birth coincided with the launch of the Save the Children GSK funded Health Signature Programme at the facility.

Save the Children spoke to Mckline’s mum and dad about his arrival, his first months, and the effect that his birth has had on others in their community:

“When my wife Catherine was pregnant, I advised her to visit the hospital and she managed to attend clinic sessions seven times before the delivery. On 4th July 2014, my wife delivered a healthy baby boy. I was very happy. Mckline weighed 3kgs at birth, the delivery was ok and we left hospital the following day,” says Fredrick, Mckline’s dad.

“I saw many mothers die when they delivered at home,” says Catherine. When I realised I was pregnant, my husband advised me to go to hospital and I attended the clinic throughout.

The hospital’s help did not stop there: “Mckline has been vaccinated free of charge from the time he was born. I was also taught how to feed him when he started eating and I learned about food and nutrients. Although sometimes I lack transport and I have to walk for a long distance to the hospital, I appreciate the treatment and advice from the nurses,” says Catherine.

Fredrick and his family live in a one roomed house which also doubles up as a shop for his battery charging and

electronics repairs business. Catherine grows vegetables in their garden and helps at the shop. Fredrick says: “I want baby Mckline to be healthy. I take him to hospital whenever he is sick. I want him to have a good education, and so I have started saving for his education. At times when he has to go to hospital, we lack transport. Economically, it is not easy; he has to eat a balanced diet, dress well and celebrate his birthday like other children.”

Asked about changes in maternal health trends in her community, Catherine says: “My successful delivery in hospital was a good example and most expectant mothers come to me for advice and I send them to the hospital. Although we still have some traditional midwifes who only send the mother to hospital when they have complications, things are changing as most mothers have started going to hospital.”

Baby Mckline is now 20 months old. He can’t speak yet but is very active. Fredrick says: “When I am doing repair works at the shop, Mckline is very keen. I think he will be an engineer. I wanted to be an engineer, I did not get there but I hope my son will get there.”

When asked how they decided to enroll Hindiya in school, her father says: “We attended the meetings conducted here in our village through this program and understood that girls education is a right, just the same way boys are given the opportunity to attend school. Through the meetings we saw the value of girls, we understood that they need to be given the opportunity to attend school and learn so that they live a better life instead of being dependant on their parents or their husbands.”

Mr. Khalif, the head teacher at Abdillegaab primary school, says: “The enrolment of girls in the school has increased since the roll-out of the AGI-K program. Many young adolescent girls who were in the reserves herding livestock have enrolled in this school and are attending the program’s safe spaces. Sensitisation meetings on the values of girl child conducted through this program have added weight to this subject matter -a sign that my community is now changing for the better.”

Continued from page 4

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Children were the protagonists and leaders of the launch of the Every Last Child campaign in Kenya. In Nairobi and other field offices where the campaign was presented, girls and boys were the main spokespeople and spoke out against the discrimination that prevents them from realising their rights to surviving and fulfilling their potential. In Nairobi, the event took place on 26th April during the 2016 Kenya Children’s Assembly (KCA) held in partnership with UNICEF. During the launch, children led a press briefing where they shared the goals and objectives of the campaign while highlighting barriers and challenges in their respective counties. They also outlined their asks for the national and county governments. “Girls get married at tender ages to men old enough to be their grandpas. You get a girl of 10 years married to a 50-year-old man. She can refer to him as her grandfather and is her husband at the same time. It seems our community does not care for the girls. It is common to find girls looking after cattle and goats while the boys are in school. The cattle and goats are used to pay school fees for the boys while the girls are left neglected,” explained Habon Ahmed Abdullahi a 17-year-old girl from Wajir County. In Kenya, the campaign targets the most excluded children living in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) and in urban slums. Working in partnership with UNICEF, Save the Children is calling on decision-makers at the household, local, national and international levels to ensure that all barriers that prevent these children from accessing life-saving services are eliminated.

Campaign Launched at field level

Our Bungoma office held a public “baraza” (gathering) led by children. The children were adamant that their county government must view them as significant players in the county decision making processes. The Bungoma County Assembly Speaker committed to ensure that child participation is made integral at the county level.

Children in the Dadaab refugee camps participated in a one-day children’s assembly session which brought together children both in and out of school to express their views on the barriers and challenges they face.

The launch in Wajir coincided with the launch of Common Program Framework for Ending Drought Emergencies (EDE). Save the Children hosted 30 children who had an opportunity to speak to the county leadership on what they see as steps needed to help them thrive. Every Last Child messages were echoed very well in a poem recited by children.

Children lobby for the rights of Every Last Child in Kenya

By Bill Kembo, Campaigns Manager

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My first field visit ...Ntinyari’s experience

I am on my 5th year of contributing to making a lasting change for children. 1st October of every year marks my anniversary at Save the Children in Kenya. I have served and continue serving children diligently and with pride!

It has always been my dream to travel and have an experience in the field offices. My conversation on phone with colleagues in the field usually ends with ‘I will visit soon’.

In almost all staff meetings I attended this year, the song was, ‘everyone is touching a child’s life by what they are doing regardless of your job title in the organisation’. It sounded like the story of the humming bird!

Year 2016 had its own expectations and Lodwar trip was in the pipeline, my first and most memorable trip to the field. Yes, my dream to travel to the field came to pass. When an invitation came from Bill and Bella in Advocacy and Communications team, I agreed without batting an eye. What an honour!

With a smile on my face, I received my ticket from our travel agent. Lodwar trip is finally happening! On 15th June at 5am, I left my house. It was a very chilly and cold morning and I thought to myself, this is what my colleagues experience on their travel day to the field. At Wilson airport, I met the Advocacy team and also spotted another colleague busy on his laptop waiting to board a flight to Dadaab. It dawned on me ‘everyone is touching a child’s life’. Indeed, this is what colleagues go through to achieve our vision and mission.

At around 8:30am, we arrived in Lodwar. The Lodwar team is awesome! We were received by two Lodwar staff Geoffrey Murithi and Simon Tano. With a smile on

their faces, they both welcomed us to Lodwar. We got a warm welcome from all staff members on arrival at the Lodwar office. I retaliate that Lodwar staff are awesome! We were ushered into our temporary work stations, and at this point in time, my questions were more than the answers. I would later get answers as I sat and listened to staff conversations at the staff meeting, and I could slowly relate my role as the Admin Officer to the activities under discussion. It was a pleasure to support in preparations for the Day of the African Child amd for me, this was amazing!

The following day was the Day of the African Child. We joined in the children’s march around town and I was curious to see and associate with Save the Children beneficiaries. Walking around town, I realised that indeed Save the Children works in the most marginalised areas of Kenya and with the most vulnerable and deprived children. In Lodwar, we support children with disability as well as children affected by conflict just to mention a few. As we walked around the town, the red tshirts were very conspicuous and the message was very clear. I could see the joy in these children’s faces and in their sign language as they advocated for their rights. “What a colourful occasion!” I though to myself.

Finally, we got to the venue and the event begun. It was time for entertainment and indeed the children are talented. Despite all the challenges they face, they could afford a dance and a smile on their faces. The message in the dances and poems was clear: When there is conflict, children are the most affected and this denies them an opportunity to enjoy their rights.

It was the children’s day and they presented their requests to various stakeholders through the leadership of the Children’s Assembly. At the end of the event, I confirmed that my colleagues always go an extra mile to ensure that we have a lasting change in children’s lives. This is the spirit we should all have as we execute our roles each day

On Friday, I woke up very early in the morning ready to spend the day with my colleagues in the field. As i waited for a vehicle to the office, I could see several children going to school and most of them had no shoes. A quick thought ran through my mind on equal opportunities for all children, and yes, this is what we are advocating for.

I left for Nairobi on Saturday, feeling more confident that indeed my role has a part to play in reaching every last child. However, my mission in Lodwar is not complete - the next time I have a chance, I will visit Lokichar where we are working with children with disabilities. Indeed advocating for the rights of children, is a collective responsibility for all of us!

By Florence Ntinyari, Administrative officer, Nairobi

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Young married couple inspires dialogue on child spacing in Mandera

Hassan and Maymuna, a young married couple in Mandera, are among the people who are educating their peers and challenging social norms surrounding the use of modern contraceptives in Somali communities, thanks to the ESHE programme implemented by Save the Children in Mandera. Hassan says: “I am a public health officer working with the Ministry of Health and my wife Maymuna is a housewife. We use Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancies (HTSP) methods unlike many of our peers in Elwak who do not want to be associated with contraceptives or child spacing.”

Save the Children is using the Positive Deviance approach which is based on the observation that in every community, there are certain individuals or groups whose uncommon behaviour enables them to find better solutions to problems than their peers facing similar challenges. Hassan’s household disclosing use of HTSP methods in public creates an enabling environment where adolescent girls, women and men start challenging harmful social norms and make informed choices for their families.

Hassan says: “We have been blessed with three children; we know that HTSP helps to plan our family. To help our community members accept child spacing, I and my wife were approached by Save the Children and we are co-facilitating HTSP forums with religious leaders.”

Maymuna, HTSP champion says: “With the use of HTSP methods I am not worried of unplanned pregnancy and

I am able to give maximum care to my child and myself. In the forums, I meet adolescent mothers who are constantly worrying about their babies’ health and HTSP now addresses this concern.”

Hassan says: “We share our experiences in the HTSP forums and it nurtures a sense of trust among the married adolescents and other community members. So far, nine HTSP forum attendees have registered in the HTSP clinic at Elwak sub county hospital and are using child spacing methods, as a result of the forums and discussions.”

18 year old Fatuma who now regularly uses methods for HTSP obtained from the local clinic says: “If the health workers and religious leaders’ households are using HTSP methods, then these things are safe and allowed in our religion so we should use it because we need it for our health.”

By Aden Abdullahi, RMNH Coordinator, Mandera

Hassan and Maymuna discuss child spacing methods in an adolescent forum

Children present their views and requests during the Day of the African Child celebrations in Lodwar, Turkana

Duncan Harvey with Paul, a victim of conflict and beneficiary of Save the Children. Duncan was addressing various stakeholders during the Day of the African Child celebrations in Lodwar, Turkana

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Supporting teenage mothers in the world’s largest refugee camp

Located in the north of Garissa County in Kenya, Dadaab is the world’s largest refugee camp. The story of Dadaab would be incomplete though without mentioning the teenage mothers who have gone through harrowing and plenty times untold experiences in the camps. A typical day for a girl in Dadaab would include going to school, hanging out with friends, doing homework and household chores, and having leisure time with peers. But for three girls, Amina, Naima and Nimo* all aged below 17 years, their reality is starkly different.

They all arrived at the Dadaab refugee camp during the 2011 influx. They hardly expected what they found at the camp; the food rationing, shelter in dilapidated tents that could not stand the scorching heat from the sun and which offered little or no protection from the searing night cold.

Naima and Nimo were lured into early marriage as a way out of poverty. They were both married off to men old enough to be their fathers. “I did not get married to get children; I got married to financially help my single mother take care of my six siblings. But I was wrong, I was cheated and I feel short-changed,’’ says Naima, biting her lower lip, trying to force back tears and stroking her baby’s hair to distract her from the painful memory. After the marriage and the wedding pomp, their husbands turned violent and blamed them for their misfortunes before finally deserting them. “Every bad thing would be attributed to me. The beating was so unbearable I sometimes passed-out,’’ Nimo shares, tears welling up in her eyes.

Amina’s story is somewhat different; she is seven months pregnant. She was only in Class Four at Mwangaza Primary School when she was introduced to an old man. “He was old and had another wife; he would call me daily and give me some money. We grew closer, one thing led to another and I was shocked when I missed my period. The lab test confirmed my fears and I felt as though the world was coming down on me. I was nervous and numb. I remember crying endlessly,’’ Says Amina.

The story of the three is not unique. Many innocent girls fall prey to these schemes.Amina’s pregnancy brought dispute between her father who wanted her out of the family and her mother who wanted her to stay. She dropped out of school when she could no longer endure the accusing looks of her fellow students. She gradually lost her friends and family members became aggressive towards her save for her mother. All alone and dealing with a judgmental world, Amina is forced to grow up before she is ready. ‘’The complications resulting from the pregnancy such as the

morning sickness, and the cravings which no one bothered to assist me to go through nearly killed me’’ says Amina. Save the Children’s support

Through a project funded by UNHCR and the Bureau for Population and Refugee Migration (BPRM), Save the Children provides psychosocial support and case management for girls like Naima, Nimo and Amina. “I was referred to this support group by a friend. It helped not only me but also my then unborn child. Through this support network, I was able to make friends, share my stories and laugh with other girls and above all accept myself. I learnt about pre-natal care and started to access the health facility through referral from our social support group,’’ says Nimo.

By Nuuh Tukow, Child Protection Coordinator, Dadaab

Teenage mothers in Dadaab interact and discuss issues during the support group meetings

Chilldren and parents at Dadaab refugee camp

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Photo Gallery

A unique re-union for mothers and babies... Kangaroo Mother Care graduates and their babies join in KMC celebrations on 12th May 2016

Day of the African Child celebrations in Bungoma

Hon Ahmed Abullahi, Governor Wajir County (left) joins Save the Children and UNICEF staff during the launch of the European Union funded Maternal and Child Nutrition Programme

Children join in celebrations to mark the launch of the Every Last Child campaign in Kenya on 26th April 2016

Staff in Wajir join children in marking the 2016 Day of the African Child

Ellama (right) a beneficiary of our health interventions in Wajir, with her husband and baby. Elama got married at the age of 17, had six miscarriages and was divorced by her husband as she was considered a curse in her community. Later Ellama got married again and through Save the Children interventions, Ellama successfully delivered a healthy baby girl. She is happy to be a mother and her self-esteem has been restored

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Editorial tEam

Bella Nyamamu

- Editor

Faith Kirigha

- Assistant Editor

ContaCts:Country Director

Duncan Harvey

E-mail:

duncan.harvey@savethechildren.org

Communications Manager

Bella Nyamamu

E-mail:

Bella.Nyamamu@savethechildren.org

Telephone: +254 20 4246000

website: https://kenya.savethechildren.net

JUKWAA letu is published to share the progress that KENYA is making in improving the quality of its programmes for children in Kenya. We hope it will stimulate on-going and new conversations on how we can do what we are doing even better! If you have interesting stories to tell or comments to make, please contact the Kenya Communications team or e-mail: bella.nyamamu@savethechildren.org. We look forward to hearing from you. - Editor

ContributorsAbraham Wanyonyi

Aden Abdullahi

Abey Abdimohamed

Bill Kembo

Colin Crowley

Faith Kirigha

Florence Ntinyari

Hussein Abdi Ahmed

Jessica Lomongin

Joan Emoh

Lucy Ntongai

Nuuh Tukow

Teresa Akun

Photo Gallery

Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) in Bungoma meet to discuss finances. The group formed a VSLA, and all members now run businesses. As CHVs, They no longer rely on stipend from Save the Children

A mother to mother support group in Wajir - these groups are part of our support in strengthening maternal and child health in Wajir County

Songs and dance by children in Turkana on the Day of the African Child

Fatuma (center) enrolled in the Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI-K) programme in Wajir, receives a home bank, as part of financial education to encourage a saving culture

An expectant mother is taken to hospital using a boda boda ambulance under the GSK funded health signature programme in Bungoma. The boda boda ambulances are helping reduce maternal deaths in Bungoma

Mr. Matoke and his grand child pose for a photo. “I want to thank Carolina for Kibera and Save the Children for coming through for my grandchild. When she came to the nutrition cenfre in Kibera, she was underweight but now she is doing well. Her health has really improved,” says Mr Matoke