YOUTH AND WOMEN GROUPS SUPPORTED TO ENGAGE IN INITIATIVES GEARED TOWARDS PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.

While it has been noted that poverty has a direct link with violence against children and adolescents, Good Hope Foundation is supporting youth and women group’s initiatives geared towards preventing violence against children and adolescents. Women and youths groups have been seen at the center of preventing violence against children and adolescents through mobilizing community members to prevent the vice by sensitizing them on the prevention of violence against children and adolescents. Additionally women have been seen being at the center of ensuring that children get what to eat in most of households, provide clothing to the children but little or no support towards the education of children and provision of other basic necessities which has been attributed to their limited engagement in income generating activities.

Good Hope foundation identified and supported  four (4) CBO  initiatives geared towards prevention of violence against children in the two sub counties of operation that is Karusandara and Kisinga sub counties. The supported CBOs included one youth group and one women group per sub county. Group assessment was done to identify and assess the capacity gaps of the groups in implementing the initiatives and creating linkages between the supported initiated on prevention of violence against children and adolescents. On 25th and 26th of August 2017 Good Hope organized 4 training for the 4 CBOs in the identified gaps where 117 (83f and 34m) group members attended the trainings.

Rural Youth Initiative for Development (RYID)  and St. Lucy Women Group all in Kisinga Sub county where trained and supported in piggery management as well as in kitchen gardening which are geared towards boosting the income levels for the members as well as boosting food security and nutrition at family levels.

St.lucy women group members sharing experiences on how the initiatives is helping them in parenting of their children

RYID members being trained in kitchen gardening

While Kanamba Women group and Kevengenyi Youth for Development all from Karusandara sub county were trained and supported in piggery management and goat keeping/rearing. 

Kanamba women group generating ideas on the initiatives geared towards prevention of violence against children and adolescents

The support was indented to strengthen the capacities of youth and women organizations to be able to actively participate in income generation activities to improve their livelihoods as well as to strengthen the capacities of the youths and women to be able to participate in reducing violence against children and adolescents at family, community and school levels through sensitizing communities and participating in school, family and community initiatives aimed at reducing violence against children and adolescents.

The four CBOs supported included; from Kisinga, Rural youth initiative for development (RYID) which has a membership of 35 members (20f and 15m) and it was supported in poultry project, St. Lucy women group with a membership of 30 members (25f and 5m) was supported in boosting their piggery project while from Karusandara they include; Kanamba women group which has a membership of 27 members (23F and 4M) was supported in their piggery project while also Kevengenyi youth for development with 25 members (15 F and 10M) was also supported in piggery project.

Key commitment and achievement

• Group members committed them selves  to participate in community and school initiatives geared towards prevention of violence against children and adolescents. As members they will identify initiatives that they can initiate at the neighboring schools which are geared towards preventing violence against children and adolescents.
• Groups also had to plan for the sensitization meetings and events to sensitize the communities on prevention of violence against children and adolescents.

• In a way of reducing violence against children and adolescents, Rural Youth Initiative for Development (RYID)  has initiated a banana plantation at Kiburara primary school with the main purpose of boosting the mid day meals for the pupils at school to enhance pupils performance and enabling them to stay in school and complete school.  
  

  

  Rural Youth initiative for Development establishes a banana plantation at Kiburara primary school to support the lunch initiative for children