*Y.C.* The future for: Adolescent mothers & married Adolescents!
Focusing on Adolescent mothers and married adolescents, the project will concentrate on improving the health seeking behaviours of adolescent mothers, since most adolescent mothers are left out in mainstream planning, youth and or adults programs only plan for youth/adults and most often the married or adolescent mothers are left out,hence they do not go to ante natal care, access sexuality information and education, and more often than not do not access family planning and even counselling and testing services.
As the married adolescents and adolescent mothers are equipped, the elders in society will also be equipped to increase their intolerance to early marriage, Female Genital Cutting (which in most communities prepares the adolescent girl for marriage) and the misconception about family planning, so that they support girls' education, family planning and end the harmful cultural practices. This will come in handy as in Coast province, South Rift Valley and North Eastern Provinces, where the program will focus, the societies are still patriarchal and men make most decisions regarding Reproductive Health and Sexuality. Psychosocial Support groups will be formed for the couple and adolescent mothers to support ongoing open dialogue for the benefit of the mother, child , father, and the nation at large. Greater partnership will be upheld with the Ministry of Health and other development partners to ensure easy access to services for the adolescent mothers and marries adolescents.
A propos de vous
Section 1: About You
Prénom
Wakesho
Nom
Peris
URL du site Web
Organization
National Organization of Peer Educators
Pays
Kenya, NA
Are you an individual between the ages of 18 and 35 who would like to apply for a nine month Young Champions Program mentored by an Ashoka Fellow?
Oui
Section 2: About Your Organization
Nom
National Organization of Peer Educators (NOPE)
Site Web
Téléphone
+ 254 020 4343331/2 or + 254 720989209
Adresse
10498 - 00100
Pays
Kenya
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Your idea
Name Your Project
*Y.C.* The future for: Adolescent mothers & married Adolescents!
Country your work focuses on
Kenya, CO
Describe Your Idea
Focusing on Adolescent mothers and married adolescents, the project will concentrate on improving the health seeking behaviours of adolescent mothers, since most adolescent mothers are left out in mainstream planning, youth and or adults programs only plan for youth/adults and most often the married or adolescent mothers are left out,hence they do not go to ante natal care, access sexuality information and education, and more often than not do not access family planning and even counselling and testing services.
As the married adolescents and adolescent mothers are equipped, the elders in society will also be equipped to increase their intolerance to early marriage, Female Genital Cutting (which in most communities prepares the adolescent girl for marriage) and the misconception about family planning, so that they support girls' education, family planning and end the harmful cultural practices. This will come in handy as in Coast province, South Rift Valley and North Eastern Provinces, where the program will focus, the societies are still patriarchal and men make most decisions regarding Reproductive Health and Sexuality. Psychosocial Support groups will be formed for the couple and adolescent mothers to support ongoing open dialogue for the benefit of the mother, child , father, and the nation at large. Greater partnership will be upheld with the Ministry of Health and other development partners to ensure easy access to services for the adolescent mothers and marries adolescents.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
1. The idea is focusing on married adolescents and adolescent mothers, a window of opportunity which has been forgotten by most programs
2. Involvement of the Provincial Administration and Religious leaders who are mostly men and held in high regard by their societies as not an after thought but part of the program conceptualization. Most programs have involved these groups as a by the way but not a direct beneficiary of the project
3. Psychosocial Support groups (PSSGs) have mostly been encouraged amongst PLHIV, Alcoholics and widows and widowers. Having PSSGs - which will be branded; swahiba clubs (swahiba is swahili word for friend) will give this group a chance to appreciate the universality of the issues they face, their individual uniqueness and support each other work through the issues.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
This is a new idea but informed by many years of youth programming and working in various cultures.
Problem
Adolescent mothers and married adolescents have unique needs that are not fatored in, in the mainstream youth programming. even in the Kenya National Youth Policy, this group has been left out as a unique window of opportunity. with more than 60% of Kenyans being youth and increased school drop outs, many adolescents marry early.
In the Kenya Demographic Health Survey of 2003; early marriages are still high in Coast Province and North Eastern. Female Genital cutting is still widely practised in South Rift Valley province and after circumscision the teenage /adolescent girl is ready for marriage. most of these marriages are cross generational and very few especially in the coast province are within the same age group. Being married to a much older person, who most of the times is selected for the girl, the girl has no powers to negotiate for family planning and or access services. At the health facilities and Youth friendly centres the adolescent is viewed as neither an adult nor a youth, they thus shy off from seeking services all together. Those attending ANC, 72% deliver at home while only 28% get skilled delivery (accordring to Annual Operation IV review for Kajiado district
Actions
Education for married adolescent & adolescent mothers, their partners, Provincial administration and religious leaders
Formation of Psychosocial Support groups (PSSG)- Swahiba clubs
Setting up of a Kitty for adolescent mothers
Link with health facilities for referrals and subsidized costs of services for adolescent mothers & married adolescent
Results
1. Increased number of adolescent mothers and married adolescents seeking Reproductive Health, family Planning, HIV and AIDS services
2. Reduced numbers of early marriages and girls undergoing Female Genital Cutting (FGC)
3. Increased numbers of opinion leaders supporting access to Family Planning services for adolescent mothers and married adolescents
4. Increased community intolerance to early marriage and FGC
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
Year one: Sensitization of all key stakeholders: Provincial Administration and religious Leaders & ministry of health staff
Partnership with other NGOs. Funding to support program institutionalization.
Setting up of the Health mothers kitty
Establishment of Swahiba clubs
Year two: Ongoing education by the opinion leaders and Ministry of Health staff, change of attitude towards adolescent mothers by Nurses in health facilities
Year Three: Increased intolerance of early marriages, not practising family planning and FGC
What would prevent your project from being a success?
1. lack of support from Opinion leaders
2. Inadequate support to subsidize the cost of services in health facilities
3. Regular stock outs of contraceptives for family planning
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Oui
Viabilité
A quel étape votre projet en est-il ?
Étape conceptuelle
Votre organisation est-elle une
organisation à but non lucratif
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Oui
If yes, provide organization name.
National Organization of Peer Educators
How long has this organization been operating?
Plus 5 années
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Oui
Does your organization have a non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Oui
Does your organization have a non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Oui
Does your organization have a non-monetary partnerships with government?
Oui
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
1. The Public and Private Sector will support through through their corporate social responsibility subsidized medical services, while the ministry trains its staff on specific needs of the target group
2. A referral directory will be developed with the support of the ministry for program pilot with selected facilities.
3. Mentorship will be sort for the adolescent mothers and married adolescents in partnership with NGOs and corporates. this will boost the girls esteem and their willingness to seek services
4. The provincial administration and religious leaders will ensure all its officers and members respectively support the program and that laws against early marriages and soon to be passed on FGC are enforced.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1. Fellowship/Training to gain experience and more information on issues of maternal health
2. Visit to countries/ exchange programs to learn more on similar initiatives
3. Funding and Mentorship as I implement the program
The Story
What was the defining moment that you led to this innovation?
Working in Kajiado central District with hard to reach, marginalized populations, seeing young adolescent married and bearing childern, and the myths they are told, not to eat so much when pregnant so that it is easy for them to deliver, which in turn affects their health and talking to girls in interior schools who have dreams of being better people! this made me want to make a difference in the lives of these women who are married very young, immediately after being circumscised and with poor access to health facilities, their lives and those of their babies are always at risk!
The groups we work with are comprised of married adolescents who feel left out by main stream services
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
Peris Wakesho is a 28 year old lady, with a passion for making the difference in the lives of other girls and women in general.
I have always wanted to have a chance where I will directly address issues regarding to women health , especially adolescent mothers and married adolescents who are a marginalized group that seems to be forgotten in most interventions.
My career aspiration is to influence health decisions at the highest level possible empowering communities to support women for a healthier future and nation!
I am enthusiastic, team player willing to learn and share what I have with others as i live my life as a role model for other girls hoping that I will be a sign of hope and encouragement to them. For I believe that, no woman should die because they are discriminated and or can not access health services, it is a choice that they have and must claim and I know the strength of the mothers and the determination of every girl is strong and will make this world, maternal mortality free!
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Email from Changemakers
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Commentaires
Great idea, this is definitely an unmet need and I wish you the best. Just a few questions:
1. Changing the views of community leaders is no small task, especially when these ideas are ingrained in their culture. How do you plan on influencing these leaders enough to get their support and once you have their support how to you plan on using it to help your cause?
2. If these adolescents are left normally looked over, how do you plan on getting them to attend your program? Is there going to be resistance from the community making this difficult?
Dear Jake,
Thank you for going through my project concept and for your kind words.
1. I agree with you that dealing with societal norms is not an easy thing, but it has been done and can still be done. a. Borrowing on earlier models of programming on issues around cultural norms, sensitization of the leaders and increasing community intolerance to issues that affect maternal health will gradually help in support for adolescent mothers and married adolescents.
b. The support of the key leaders will help in increased sensitization and reaching men, who are the main decision makers to ensure that men support the initiatives and are partners in the whole process. The key leaders will support mobilization of resources in Cash and kind for the cause.
2. The communities from the Coast Province and South Rift Valley province whom I have recommended, are communities where early marriage is practices and some of the other cultural activities that affect women health. This implies that the adolescent mothers and married adolescents are known. Some of them are engaged in other community activities and also access services, but these services are not specifically tailored to address their needs.
a. I know working exclusively with such groups might be stigmatizing if not well planned. I will thus work with them through Psychosocial groups and beginning from those who are known and open about it to reach to those who are not. Again the Opinion leaders in the community and the health facilities will play a key role in integrating these populations and ensuring they access services.
b. Building on the already political will to address issues of early marriage, Female Genital Cutting and the return to school policy, the project will focus on re integration of those married and or are adolescent mothers at the various levels based on their need.Linking with micro finance institutions will ensure that those able and or willing to start businesses have support to run businesses that will support them.
Thank you once again, and I will be glad to respond to any queries you may have and take any input you have.
Peris Wakesho (Ms.)
Make sure you add these details to your entry as the judges will not see your comments.
Thanks You Miller,
I will add
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