SUMMARY REPORT OF THE CARITAS AFRICA WORKSHOP ON PEACE , SECURITY AND FRAGILITY, AT THE VENRO HYBRID CONFERENCE.

On Friday 16^th October 2020, Caritas Africa facilitated a digital workshop on Peace, Security, and Fragility at the VENRO Hybrid conference on “Civil Society Driving Change;Towards a New Quality of the Africa-Europe Partnership.”

The speakers were drawn from NCJPC Liberia, Caritas Central African Republic, Caritas DR Congo, Caritas South Sudan, and Caritas Mali. The choice of speakers was based on their country contexts in relation to peace, security and fragility, and the role of National and Sub-national (Diocesan) Caritas Organisations in the implementation and leadership of the interventions in those countries. 

Read the summary report here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PN6bKRbIcxMe_-cu1bXeBrFYqoivhbHF/view?usp=sharing

Caritas Africa Webinar on Civil registration and Statelessness… part one and two interviews at Radio Veritas, South Africa.

Statelessness is a problem that affects approximately 12 million people worldwide, (UNHCR, 20112). Although some of them may be referred to as refugees, most stateless persons have never crossed a border. Approximately, 715,000 stateless persons are in Africa and without identity cards, they cannot fully participate in society and enjoy basic human rights. They miss out on numerous opportunities such as: getting jobs, opening a bank account, owning property or legally getting married. This makes them vulnerable to abuse, exploitation through trafficking and other human rights violations.

The African Union recognizes that the problem of statelessness is particularly acute in Africa because of the creation of borders, border population and migration within the continent. Many African states also lack capacities to respond appropriately to contemporary migration. Article 15 of the 1948 universal declaration of human rights provides the right to Nationality for everyone. Civil registration provides individuals with documentation that prove facts relating to their existence, identity, personal and family situations. Epidemics such as Ebola, displacements caused by natural disasters and conflicts have left people without proof of legal identity and may cause them to become stateless. The COVID-19 pandemic has been disruptive in government services including civil registration. Access to these services has been affected by social distancing, restriction of movement and closure of government offices. (Media advisory- CRVS Day August 10, 2020).

In the message of Pope Francis for the 106th Day of Migrants and refugees (27th September 2020), he calls on us to reflect on the “drama of internally displaced persons” and how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this global crisis. The Pope observes that every day the news covers stories of refugees fleeing from hunger, war and other grave dangers in search of security and dignified lives for themselves and for their families.

Civil society organizations have a role to play in improving civil registration and reducing statelessness by:

(1) conducting advocacy on nationality law reforms to safeguard people from statelessness;

(2) raising awareness on statelessness in sub-Saharan Africa;

(3) providing legal aid;

(4) facilitating linkages to government services.
This webinar that took place on 17th September 2020, created a space for the Caritas network in sub-Saharan Africa to reflect on statelessness, its causes, impact and also to identify areas of collaboration with multi-stakeholders to improve civil registration and build back better post COVID-19.

The objectives were to:
 Increase understanding within the Caritas Africa network on statelessness and the unique vulnerabilities stemming from the lack of a legal identity in Africa.
 Identify actors working on statelessness and, possible areas of collaboration with them, to improve civil registration in sub-Sahara African countries.
 Collect messages to inform the Caritas Africa statement on the 106th Day of Migrants and refugees on (27th September 2020).

Listen to part one of my interview with Sheila Pires here:

https://www.radioveritas.co.za/index.php/podcast-list/sermon/4588-catholic-view-caritas-africa-with-lucy-esipila-part-1

Listen to part two of my interview with Sheila Pires here:

https://www.radioveritas.co.za/index.php/podcast-list/sermon/4589-catholic-view-caritas-africa-with-lucy-esipila-part-2

Read the statement from the webinar…

French version: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q3fErqMItFPXlSVGZ3-cWYaCutwedRQ5/view

English Version https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TkE2Kl4sB4Yg733htR9CrsMSLASZWNik/view

A Decade of Action to Deliver Agenda 2030, what does this mean for Caritas in Africa?

 

Caritas Africa hosts a side event at the 2020 Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe. 

In September 2015, over 190 Nations approved the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  This global participatory process engaged diverse stakeholders and as a result different religious traditions including the Catholic Church embraced the objectives of the SDGs. At a regional level, the African continent has a strategic framework – Africa Agenda 2063: The Africa we want– that aims to deliver on Africa’s goal for inclusive and sustainable development. This elaborate 50 year strategy manifests the Pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom and collective prosperity for all Africans.

Before the launch of the SDGs, the Holy Father Pope Francis on June 18^th 2015, released an Encyclical Letter on ecology dubbed Laudato Si (English: Praise be to you).  The Encyclical has a subtitle on “Caring for our common home”. In the Letter, the Holy Father observes that Agenda 2030 is a great step forward for global dialogue marking a vitally “new and universal solidarity.” The 17 SDGs have been clustered under the five Ps – People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace and Partnerships.

Pope Francis calls for a conversation that involves everyone in view of the linkages between actions by human beings and the environmental challenges that the world is currently facing (Laudato Si, 14). This call by Pope Francis to engage everyone in the conversation on sustainable development is at the heart of the UN 2030 Agenda which has a commitment to “Leave no one behind.”

Read More … Media Article ARFSD 2020 – Lucy ESPILA

Partnering with Faith Groups to Achieve Sustainable Development in Africa.

 

 

The Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable development is convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with regional organisations such as the African Union Commission, African Development bank and agencies within the United Nations system.

The forum plays an important role in contributing to the work of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on sustainable development by providing a forum for multi-stakeholders to follow-up and review the implementation of SDGS in Agenda 2030 and goals set out in the Africa’s agenda 2063. The forum further strengthens learning and advocacy on effective policy measures and actions to achieve goals of the two agendas. The ARFSD adopts as its outcome key messages that serve as Africa’s collective input to the annual sessions of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

Five sessions of the Africa regional forum have been held since 2015. The Sixth session will be held under the theme “2020-2030 A decade to deliver a prosperous Africa”. It will undertake a review of all the 17 SDGs and corresponding goals of Agenda 2063.  To promote an inter linkages approach to the review and deliberations during the Forum, the 17 goals will be clustered around the five Ps – People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace and Partnerships.

Caritas Africa will be hosting a side event on Wednesday 26th February 2020 at Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe. You may read more on the side event here… CARITAS AFRICA CONCEPT NOTE

We hope to see you at the side event as we engage on the role played by faith groups in encouraging actors to implement the transformative principles of Agenda 2030, as opposed to focusing on specific SDGS and Targets.

The African youth in a digital world: Promoting creativity for Integral development.

 

In His Post-Synodal exhortation to young people and to the entire people of God, Christus Vivit, Pope Francis observes that digital spaces and online relationships blind us to the vulnerability of our fellow human beings and prevent us our own self-reflection. He further notes that young people perpetually confront the challenge of balancing the real and virtual world. Immersion in the virtual world has led to withdrawal from friends, family, religion and culture. Inadvertently, this “digital migration” from the reality to the virtual age leads young people to a world of isolation and loneliness. This indicates the need for the Church to provide guidance to young people as they navigate the digital age and maintain healthy communication with their peers, families and leaders.

The Church in Africa prioritizes the care for children and the youth as a “major pastoral concern.”  In this view, the SIGNIS Africa congress on “The African youth in a digital world: Promoting creativity for Integral development,” took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 3^rd-7^th September 2019. The meeting brought together 150 participants from the Vatican and African Church, Catholic Communication and Media professionals in all the member Dioceses of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Leadership of SIGNIS World, representatives from global and continental institutions such as Caritas Africa and the African union, CAMECO, Telecommunication companies and various youth groups.

As a stakeholder for the Children and Youth programme in Africa, SIGNIS Africa sought to facilitate awareness creation on problems faced by the African children and young people in the digital Age, and highlight contributions by the new media to their well-being.

The SIGNIS Africa Congress and Assembly was opened His Eminence, Cardinal Berhaneyeus D. Souraphieri, CM. Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa and President, Catholic Bishops Conference of Ethiopia. In His welcoming remarks, he observed that the youth were drifting apart from their Values, Cultures and traditions. He was hopeful that the congress would provide concrete solutions to the challenges that African youth are facing in digital media. He encouraged participants to provide a strategic direction to the youth on the fruitful use of communication tools.

The Church needs to guide the youth to the right and true path. At the same time, we also need to learn more and share more experiences among ourselves on how to use these new media technologies to spread good news which is the mission of the Church” (H.E Cardinal Berhaneyesus D. Souraphieri)

The Global SIGNIS President, Helen Osman urged participants to embody the beautiful phrase of our patron Saint Oscar Romero: “You are microphones of God.”

In his welcoming speech, H.E Lesanuchristos Matheos, Bishop for the Communication and Public Relation Commission of the CBCE, emphasized on the importance of using new media to disseminate the word of God widely and directly. He challenged the participants to assess the trends in the new media and how they affect the formation of African youth.

 “Communication is not just another activity of the Church but is at the very essence of her life. The communication of the Good News of God’s love for all people, as expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is what unifies and makes sense of all the other aspects of the life of the Church. Communication is not simply one dimension of evangelization, without communication there can be no evangelization. Those wishing to communicate effectively and fruitfully must be technically competent and fully attentive to the culture of the environment within which they are operating.”

Rev. Fr. Prof Walter C. Ihejirika, President of SIGNIS Africa shared the Vision of building a strong Catholic Communication association which would help to create practical pathways for promoting the welfare of young children and young people in the ever-changing digital world.

Caritas Africa was represented by Communication Coordinators from Caritas Kenya, Caritas Congo and Caritas Nigeria.  The Regional Coordinator of Caritas Africa Mr. Albert Mashika affirmed the commitment of Caritas Africa to strengthen synergy and collaboration between church structures at different levels. In his message of good will that was Delivered by Mr. Guy-Marin of Caritas Congo, Mr. Mashika indicated that Caritas Africa was desirous to partner with SIGNIS Africa to fulfil the mission entrusted to the establishments by the Catholic Church.

The SIGNIS Africa Congress provided a platform for participants to deliberate on the challenges affecting the African youth today. Cyber-bullying was highlighted as a major concern by Sr. Phastsimo Veronica of the Diocese of Gaborone in Botswana. She highlighted that Victims of online – bullying may experience low self-esteem, suicidal ideation and a variety of negative emotional responses such as frustration, anger and depression.

Sr. Selam Berhanu, DHM, Ethiopia highlighted the dangers of social networking addiction, which is a behavioral dependence on social media platforms such as: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat that lead to social media overuse and has a disruptive effect on “real life” and relationships. Professor Ben Emenyonu, reflected on technological and cultural means of fighting cybercrime in Africa.

Participants also learnt on innovations that provide digital safe spaces for children and the youth such as the use of “SCHOOLAP” in DRC, Congo.  Rev. Fr. Guy-Jose Leta, shared the benefits of this successful digital platform that has enabled teachers, students and parents to interact on academic courses and activities.

Following these deliberations, the communique from the Congress and assembly highlighted the following resolutions to address the aforementioned challenges: (1) To harness the creativity of young people in the digital framework with media and digital literacy (2)To promote the use of digital technology for telling our own stories  (3)To promote local best practices on the youth and digital world at the continental level (4) Practically advocate for local and regional strategy in the fight against cybercrime (5)To improve the structure and visibility of SIGNIS at local, national and regional level.

Research evidence reveals that penetration of internet in Africa increased from 13.5% in in 2011 to 34% by December 31^st 2017. According to a global survey by we are social, Youth aged 16-24 years access internet on their mobile phones at an average of 3.26 hours daily. This is an indicator that young people spend a significant amount of their time online. Much as this exposes them to opportunities such as online jobs, marketing, academic material and networks, it also exposes them to predators, internet trolls, cyber bullies and the risk of developing social networking addiction. There is therefore a need for all actors to create digital safe spaces for the youth. Children and young people should be engaged in conversations and activities that encourage responsible use of digital tools in safe spaces.

___________________________________________________________________________

SIGNIS (World Catholic Association for Communication) is a Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement for professionals in the communication media, including press, radio, television, cinema, video, media education, internet and new technology. It is a non-profit organization with representation from over 100 countries. It was formed in November 2001 by the merger of International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual (OCIC) and International Catholic Association for Radio and Television (Unda). At its World Congress in Quebec in 2017, SIGNIS welcomed also former member organisations of the International Catholic Union of the Press (UCIP).

 

 

Statement at the UN High Level Political Forum 2019

 

Statement on SDG 10: 11^th July 2019.

 

 

My Name is Lucy Espila from Caritas Kenya speaking on behalf of Together 2030.

We appreciate that in the 2030 Agenda, tackling inequalities is both a cross-cutting principle and a specific goal (SDG 10). The Civil Society is using this as a tool to challenge inequalities in our societies around how wealth, power and opportunities are distributed within our respective contexts.  The inequality gap is widening and we continue to observe differences in the share of income and social services across different regions, sectors, genders and specific segments of people.

Economic growth is necessary for poverty reduction, but it is not enough to uplift the lives of the poor. In Africa, countries register impressive economic growth, but the wealth is controlled by less than one percent of their population. In addition, these countries continue to lose billions of dollars per year to tax exemptions, incentives and illicit financial flows.  As a result, the poor fail to access basic services such as: amongst others-clean water, health services, quality education, employment, food and nutrition.

As a Catholic Organisation, we refer to the Pope’s Encyclical “Laudato Si”. He observes that inequalities cannot be tackled without addressing the structural drivers of inequality, this calls for the removal of all barriers to equality between women and men, boy and girls and for equal access to economic opportunities, political participation, decision-making and justice. We also need to question why the concentration of power and wealth is in the hands of the most powerful.

We therefore call on all states to:

1. Make deliberate efforts to address inequalities through progressive taxation, implementing better social protection mechanisms, implementation of universal, free, quality and equitable public services like health and education as a right for all.
2. Develop and enforce anti-discrimination legislation and take concrete steps to ensure greater visibility of women and persons with disabilities in public life and institutions and ensuring equal access to justice for all
3. Recognize that inequalities lead to environmental degradation due to the disproportionate use of natural resources, pollution and deforestation which increases our ecological debt and perpetuates inequality by impacting the poorest communities and the hardest.
4. Address the impact of inequalities which increase children’s risk of experiencing different forms of violence including physical abuse, neglect, and sexual and economic exploitation. The failure to protect children from violence also contribute to and exacerbate inequalities and discrimination. Goal 10 contains a number of targets that address social and economic inequalities, and are thus indirectly relevant to ending violence against children.

Let us think about Inequality as a moral issue that affects us all, the poorest and most vulnerable in the society bear the brunt of it all. Thank you.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN KENYA LAUNCHES A ONE-YEAR ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPAIGN.

In a Daily Nation article dated 11 December 2017, Faith Nyamai observed that pollution is still a huge issue in Kenya despite the plastic bags ban that received commendation from the United Nations Environment Assembly. Faith further warned that pollution poses a grave risk to Kenyan’s lives because industrial, sewage and domestic waste have polluted major rivers in Kenya. Human beings, plants and animals are also affected by carbon emissions from vehicles and pollution from agricultural chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Other environmental issues currently affecting Kenya include: deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, degradation of water quality and flooding. In His second encyclical “Laudato Si”, Pope Francis calls everyone to take “a swift and unified global action” on climate change. The Pope observes that climate change is a global problem, with grave implications touching on environmental, social, economic and political aspects. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day and warns of unprecedented destruction of ecosystems with serious consequences for all of us.

On 25^th October 2018, The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, through Caritas Kenya launched an environmental campaign to raise awareness on the steps that Kenyans should take to conserve our environment and address pollution. This initiative was marked by planting of over 2,500 trees at the Shanzu teachers training college in Mombasa.

The Catholic environmental launch event was graced by the presence of The Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Mombasa and President of Caritas Kenya- Most. Rev. Martin Kivuva Musonde. The Guest of Honour for the event was the Director General of National Environmental Authority (NEMA) Professor Geoffrey Wahungu.

The event was also attended by: The National Director of Caritas Kenya Mr. Stephen Kituku, KCCB National Executive Secretaries, officials from the county government of Mombasa, all the 25 Diocesan Caritas Directors, representatives from: CAFOD, Misereor, Trocaire, Caritas Italiana, Caritas Switzerland, Caritas Kenya, different commissions of KCCB, Caritas Mombasa, NEMA, CYNESA, The SEED, Shanzu Teachers Training College, local media amongst others.

In his address during the Launch, His Grace, Most Rev. Martin Kivuva shared that he has planted about 4,000 trees in his backyard.

“The Seeds of today are the harvest of tomorrow. What do you want to see in Kenya today? Increased desertification or an increased forest cover? I challenge you to plant just 100 trees and you will not the difference. Join the Holy Father and St. Francis, Plant trees and love nature”

The Archbishop also pointed out that the Catholic Environmental campaign promotes the work of God through supporting initiatives that create an environment for each and every human being to enjoy. His Grace, also said that the Church is sending a message to other actors to influence these processes that will change the face of Kenya and improve our lives.

Professor Geoffrey Wahungu in his key note address, affirmed the commitment of NEMA to support initiatives by Faith Based Organisations. He thanked the Catholic Church and partners for their work on that day and reiterated that NEMA is working beyond planting trees, the organization is growing trees.

The Deputy General Secretary of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, Rev. Fr. Lucas Ongesa emphasized on the urgency to restore Kenya’s cover to 10% by 2022.  He encouraged all Kenyans to follow the steps of St. Francis of Asisi who is celebrated as a Patron saint of ecologists. St. Francis spent most of his time preaching about animals, insisting that all creatures are brothers and sisters under God. Rev. Fr Lucas also noted the importance of marking of international days related to the environment. “every one can make a difference by planting just one tree.”

Speaking on behalf of Caritas Internationalis Member Organisations that were present, Catherine Ogolla read an excerpt from Laudato si and shared views on the noble cause by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“I encourage each and everyone to embrace the principles of Laudato Si. Let us care for our mother earth. Laudato si is a game changer at CAFOD, for the next 5 years our programmes will integrate these principles. As, Caritas Internationalis Member Organisations, we commit and support this campaign. We also encourage you to Do No Harm to the environment in all your undertakings” Catherine Ogolla, Country Representative, CAFOD.

Ms. Teresia from the County Government of Mombasa thanked the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops for choosing Mombasa County for this particular event. She also urged residents of Shanzu community to protect and grow the trees.

“Let us protect the Indian Ocean” said Hellen Mugo, from the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA). She also emphasized on the responsibility of Kenyans to plant, grow trees and maintain cleanliness of the environment.

After blessing the trees through a prayer, Most. Rev Martin Kivuva led the procession that planted over 2,500 trees at a section allocated by management of the Shanzu .

This Catholic Environmental Campaign will run for one year across all Dioceses in Kenya. Each diocese will run a variety of environmental activities such as addressing plastic pollution, promoting climate smart agriculture through introducing communities to low cost irrigation and rain water harvesting systems, tree planting, participating in clean up activities and engaging in forums that promote climate justice.

The launch was coordinated by Caritas Kenya and supported by the Education, Lay & Apostolate, Catholic Justice & Peace KCCB- Commissions and the National Environment Management Authority.  The event also received a donation of 2,500 trees from The Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), Kenya Forest Service KFS and Samaritan Purse.

This initiative is part of Caritas Kenya’s contribution to the sustainable development goals. The pledge to “leave no one behind” is at the heart of the SDGs, since the achievement of these goals and targets is dependent on active participation of marginalized communities at all levels of its implementation. Caritas Kenya in partnership with CAFOD will initiate community dialogues and conduct a research to assess SDG implementation in select counties in Kenya. The process will demonstrate to communities their roles and contributions to sustainable development goals 13, 14 and 15 by addressing water and air pollution. Communities will also be encouraged to participate in decision making processes and support in the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the SDGs in their respective counties.

Ultimately, Caritas Kenya’s vision for this campaign will be achieved if we budget for climate action and environmental conservation activities, support the plastic bags ban in Kenya, maintain cleanliness of the environment, take personal initiatives to plant trees, conserve the environment and minimize pollution.

 

Understanding the humanitarian CONTEXT

As a communications specialist, in development and humanitarian Aid, I have learnt to appreciate the importance of on the Job training. As John Canfield aptly said it “some of the most important things can only be learned in the process of doing them.” For example, four years ago I transitioned from a banker based in Nairobi to a programme officer in the marginalized county of Samburu. The transition process taught me that my passion lies in the service to the communities that we serve.  Evidently, most of life is on the job training, and this is one of the things that I have picked from the core skills development course. Throughout the Core Skills Development Course work that run from August 2016 to January 2017, I greatly sharpened my skills in humanitarian programming, leadership in humanitarian response and good working practices.

My self-assessment during the inception stage of the course, revealed gaps in my understanding of humanitarian context and application of humanitarian principles.  The first step that I took to improve this competency was to watch video clips on a variety of humanitarian crises and steps taken to respond to the emergencies. I then completed online course on the Sphere handbook. As a result, I interacted with a number of humanitarian guidelines and principles such as: The Humanitarian Charter, NGO Code of Conduct, The Core Humanitarian Standards, and Protection Principles, amongst others. The first face to face workshop that was held in Debre Zeyit- Ethiopia, was an eye opener for me. It gave me an opportunity to interact with different actors in this discourse from Kenya and Ethiopia. I also learnt on the importance of application of these principles in project design, Implementation, Monitoring and phase out.

 

As part of action learning, I shared resource materials from the course with my colleagues. As a result, 4 staff enrolled for the sphere online course and one staff enrolled for and completed the different needs equal opportunities course. I also placed the NGO and Red Cross code of conduct on the Caritas Maralal notice board.

One other gap that I noted during my self-assessment was a weakness in managing myself in a pressured and changing environment.  During the second workshop, we were taken through a session on Managing stress. I realized that implementers also get affected by the pressured and changing environment. Some of the ways that we get affected include: Facing the demands of work –life balance while addressing the needs of the affected population, the element of friction between programme staff and programme support staff, application of procurement guidelines and standards in emergencies, amongst others. Some of these situations can cause trauma. In recognition of this, management in Caritas Maralal organized for a trauma awareness training for all Caritas Maralal staff on 12^th and 14^th December 2016. This contributed to the improvement of this competency.

Based lessons learnt from the core skills programme, I achieved a three key results; one of my actions plans was to roll out the construction of a resource center in caritas Maralal. Through partnership with Action aid, construction begun in September 2016, after the first workshop. This was made possible through project funds from the Start Network: Shifting the Power project. We plan to equip the center with resource materials relevant to humanitarian response. We will also mentor interns interested in community development through this center. Caritas Maralal staff will also access hard and soft copies of resource materials from the Centre. My other action plan was to introduce online learning to my colleagues, and as mentioned earlier one staff completed a course and presented her certificate.

I have also produced a terms of reference for production of a video documentary on “peace building initiatives in humanitarian response”. The objective of the documentary is to produce a documentary that provides a clear compelling narrative on the effectiveness and quality of emergency response during conflict in Caritas Maralal.

Throughout the course work my learning objectives changed. Initially, my top two learning priorities were:

(1) Monitoring and Evaluation

(2) Developing and maintaining collaborative relationships.

Having gone through this course I achieved my learning objectives and so much more. The insight from the online modules, the course facilitators and resource materials provided, greatly influenced this. I also know that there is still room for improvement in certain areas. I want to enroll for a detailed course on Do No Harm and Conflict Sensitivity which I believe will make a significant contribution to my learning Journey.

In conclusion, I can see extensive ways in which I will continue to apply what I have learnt from this course. I know that I will continue to grow and learn throughout the completion of this course and beyond.

Lessons Learnt From the Girls’ Camp in Baragoi; Samburu County

Girls react to video sessions on harmful effects of female genital mutilation.

In August 2015, Caritas Maralal in partnership with CORDAID reached a total of 350 girls through a camping activity in Samburu North; in Baragoi primary school. Campers were from Ngilai, Bendera, Baragoi, Nachola, Natiti and Nalingagor primary schools. The sessions were led by 8 facilitators from AMREF, World Vision, Straight talk foundation, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education. During the camp that lasted for a week, the girls were involved in interactive sessions on life skills, the role of girls in peace building, harmful cultural practices such as; Female Genital Mutilation, early/ forced marriages, beading and Human rights.
They also spent their evenings learning through skits and dramas, songs designed /created by the girls themselves. The Turkana and Samburu Communities in Samburu North, are infamous for inter-ethnic clashes and the facilitators engaged the girls from the two communities in connector activities such as games and interactive sessions on their experiences.
The Director of Gender in Samburu County Ms. Naanyu Lenaseiyan, through the ministry of Gender, supported the girls with 960 sanitary towels. The education office in Baragoi through Mr. Marios donated 800 sanitary towels and straight talk foundation donated 108 Sanitary towels which were all distributed to the campers. The Pastoral Coordinator of the Diocese of Maralal, Fr. Simon Tsiani donated prayer books and resource materials for the girls to learn more about the gospel.
The girls also had interactive sessions with a counseling psychologist Ms. Elsie Ngugi. The sessions revealed that the girls need psychosocial support having faced traumatic experiences such as Female Genital cutting and losing their family members to conflict. There was an expressed need for counseling for these girls who have undergone such traumatic experiences. Through the experience sharing forums some girls broke down sharing their stories of how they watched their loved ones die, how much they are scared of the FGM process and how they have learnt to live with the constant sounds of gunshots in their county. There is a need to assist victims of traumatic experiences to transition from being Victims, to survivors and finally resource persons in the community.
We cannot guarantee the safety of our girls during the school holidays because more often than not they shall be victims of harmful traditional practices such as Female Genital Mutilation. Having learnt on the harmful effects of gender based violence and conflict; they all agreed to “Say NO to FGM” but at the end of the day they don’t really have a choice it rests on their parents and community elders. Some girls broke down during this session some asked “what will happen to those now that have already gone through Female Genital Mutilation?”
It was also evident that there is a need to extend this intervention beyond the girls, to the parents of the 350 girls. It was also suggested that the same camping activity should be held for the boy child. It has been said that men are the potential resistors of change and if we don’t target them in our interventions our efforts shall be thwarted. Boys also need to understand the consequences of gender based violence.
There is also need to train the circumcisers and at the same time bring in the aspect of the law in Kenya and Gender based violence. The process has to involve community elders who make decisions at the community levels. What the girls in pastoralist communities need is the freedom from the confines of identity that are attributed to very harmful cultural practices such as beading and abortion, early and forced marriages and Female Genital Mutilation. More over these are the same issues that lead to low enrolment and transition rates in schools.
The Camping activity is one of the key components of the Kenya Essential Education Programme funded by UKAID. The project is being implemented in 100 public primary schools in Samburu County. The lead agency for this project in Cordaid who are working in partnership with Caritas Maralal. Other interventions in schools include; Construction of energy saving institutional stoves, dormitories classrooms and sanitation facilities, provision of sanitary towels to needy girls in schools and establishment of school gardens in select schools. The one year project will run till March 2016.

Public Primary Schools in Samburu County Still Have a Long Way To Go.

Research reveals that there is a strong tie between poverty and low enrolment in Kenya’s Schools. The introduction of free primary education in 2003 saw an increase in enrolment of 1.2 million pupils (Bold et al, 2010, p.293-94). However, this is not enough. Enrolment especially in Arid and Semi Arid areas in the country is significantly low.  Authors, (Michael et al , 2011) of the paper on “Access and quality in the Kenyan education system” observed that the introduction of free primary education notably promoted access to education but ancillary costs of education such as school uniforms, textbooks, sanitary towels for girls and distance to schools prevent many parents from investing in their children’s education. The authors further pointed out that provision of high quality education to all parts of Kenya remains a challenge.

A UKAID funded project is being implemented by a lead agency; Cordaid in partnership with Caritas Maralal and IIRR. The project targets 100 public primary schools in Samburu County and the main focus is on climate change mitigation and adaptation with a view of enhancing resilience and increasing access to education. A rapid assessment in 36 schools conducted by Caritas Maralal in June 2015, disclosed that in most schools students have to carry firewood to school and this clearly has a direct impact on the environment. The schools assessed reported that they incur a cost of about 10,000 to 30,000 Kenya shillings per month on fuel. To address this energy saving Jikos and additional domestic stoves have been installed in Ngilai, Baragoi, Lkuroto, Puraa, Lodungokwe, Sura Adoru, Shabaa, Muslim and Maralal Primary schools. Ten artisans from Samburu East, Central and North were identified and trained by experts on installation of the initial eight Institutional stoves. The artisans shall be engaged for the next 9 months to install additional stoves in 31 more schools in the entire county.

Teachers and Students of Sura Adoru Primary School outside their Kitchen where we installed an energy saving jiko of 250 litres and an additional domestic stove.

In July 2015, Cordaid, IIRR and Caritas Maralal conducted a baseline survey in Samburu East, North and Central. During the survey, it was observed that most public primary schools do not have fences. Some schools had weak and incomplete chain link fences. This raises a concern on the security of the boys and girls especially in boarding schools. Schools Like Marti Primary School have only one functional toilet serving 297 pupils, their kitchen has a worn out energy saving jiko and you could tell that a replacement was urgently needed before a cook got burnt in the process of using it.

One particular school that stood out in Samburu North is Latakweny Primary school located along the Baragoi- Latakweny road about 60 Kilometres from Baragoi town. The school stands on a 25 acre piece of land and has a total of 300 pupils. In most classes the floors are cracked and chipped. Classes have about six to eight wooden desks in them. Their kitchen is a temporary structure that evidently needs a replacement.  The Sub County Public Health officer in a letter to the school stipulated that “the school urgently needs to construct a kitchen and food stores that meet the public health standards as stipulated in Cap 254 Food, Drugs and chemical substance Act laws of Kenya”. Another school that stood out is Amaiya primary school the boarding facilities lacked mattresses and adequate beds. During our discussion with them on their needs, students and teachers in Nachola primary school pointed out that poor enrolment and absenteeism is attributed to poverty, some students lack basics such as uniforms and that results to absenteeism. There is an education policy stating that no child should miss school for lack of a uniform however,school uniforms are an entrenched part of schooling in Kenya which forces parents to keep their children away because they do not have uniforms. Another concern raised was that some students have to trek long distances to school which affects their concentration once they get to class. Most students in the schools assessed pointed out that they urgently needed text books to enable them complete their school assignments in time. They also pointed out that the school feeding program motivates the students to attend school and it’s one other factor that has contributed to increased enrolment and transition rates.

This is a classroom in Latakweny primary School in Samburu 

However there is a remarkable progress on the installation of solar systems in the schools by the government and other agencies working in Samburu County. Through funding from UKAID this project shall complement their efforts by installing solar panels in 25 Schools. Also through the Constituency Development Fund boarding facilities have been constructed in Marti and Sura Adoru primary schools but the facilities are not functional because they lack mattresses and beds. The project also has a provision for improving existing infrastructure to meet climate proofing standards.

This Project builds on the first phase that was implemented by IIRR in Samburu East with funding from UKAID. A similar dormitory shall be constructed in one of the 100 target schools in the current Phase.

Following the needs assessment conducted in June 2015 and the baseline survey conducted in July 2015 in Samburu County’s public primary schools we shall share our findings with all actors to validate the findings of the survey, identify possible opportunities for partnership and also mobilize resources from the county government and other agencies. We hope that even after this project phases out in nine months the schools shall still continue to get the assistance that they really need from other actors.