- Residents fear the projects initiated by the lobby may not be sustainable if the county does not step in and absorb them.
- The NGO has been implementing sponsorship and development programmes in Siaya and has wound up its programmes in the region after 22 years.
The national government and the county administration in Siaya have been called upon to ensure sustainability of child sponsorship, water and sanitation programmes in school that were initiated by Plan International with the lobby ending its operations in the region.
Residents fear the projects initiated by the lobby may not be sustainable if the county does not step in and absorb them.
Plan International country director George Otim however asked the two levels of the government to ensure what the organisation established in the community is safeguarded and continue to benefit the target groups.
Otim spoke in Bondo during a ceremony to mark the end of Plan International Education sponsorship programme in Siaya county.
The NGO has been implementing sponsorship and development programmes in Siaya and has wound up its programmes in the region after 22 years.
"We have been around since 2002 and even as we exit the scene on sponsorship,we call upon the two levels of government to ensure sustainability of the programmes started in schools by involving other stakeholders so that the students can continue to benefit from what Plan had initiated," Otim said.
The country director also pointed out that through water and sanitation programme, they had managed to distribute water tanks and constructed latrines in schools across the county, which the Ministry of Education through the county directors should ensure are safeguarded and utilised for intended purpose.
Otim however said even as the sponsorship programme is winding up, the development grant programme will still be going on in the region as they target to break the gender equality barriers.
"The mission of Plan International is to create a world that ensures gender equality for the girls. Nowhere in the world, even in the US, have we achieved gender equality, so we shall continue implementing development programmes with a view of trying to bridge gender equality gap for the benefit of the girl child," he said.
He further disclosed that Plan International will continue to fight against teenage pregnancy in the county which currently stands at 21 per cent.
"The other area that the NGO and other stakeholders will have to take a serious look at is the rising cases of teenage pregnancies in Siaya county which is hampering education for the girls in the region. If we don't fight against the vice our efforts on gender equality would be rendered futile," Otim said.
Siaya education executive Edgar Otumba who was the chief guest at the function congratulated Plan International for their immense contribution towards the education of not only the girl child but all children in the county for over two decades.
Otumba assured Plan International that the programmes they initiated will be adopted by the county government of Siaya to ensure sustainability.
Bondo deputy county commissioner Joseph Otieno who was the host of the event called upon other development partners to emulate the Plan International by initiating programmes that bring positive change in the community.