- The initiative seeks to cure ignorance and prepare young adults for future life.
- Statistics suggest a need for more open conversation surrounding menstruation.
Image: HANDOUT
Thousands of students are set to be empowered with life skills, financial literacy, health awareness among others, following the launch of That Awkward Conversation – TAC.
Launched at Baraka Oontoyie Secondary School in Kajiado County, the initiative seeks to cure ignorance and prepare young adults for future life, with studies indicating that Students who have a strong foundation in life skills are better equipped to handle the challenges they will face in their personal and professional lives.
According to TAC Co-founder, Wathanu Warui, the programme will inspire informed choices, one conversation at a time, among adolescents and youth in the country.
“We are creating awareness and being a catalyst to these conversations that need to happen but somewhat deemed awkward which in essence they should not be. These kids should be able to be open and have conversations and get to learn how they can make better choices," Wathanu said.
The launch comes at the time the PISA financial literacy assessment, which measured the financial skills of 15-year-olds in 14 OECD and six partner countries and economies, shows that many students engage in basic financial activities from a young age.
On average, more than eight in ten students have bought something online during the last 12 months and 66 per cent of students made a payment using a mobile phone.
However, many still lack the skills and knowledge needed to make sound financial decisions: nearly one out of five students on average in participating OECD countries and economies, did not achieve baseline proficiency levels in financial literacy.
The top performers – about 11 per cent of OECD students assessed – are capable of solving non-routine financial problems and can describe the potential outcomes of financial decisions, showing an understanding of the wider financial landscape, such as income tax.
Higher financial literacy is associated with more responsible financial behaviours, such as having a longer-term and more pro-active approach to money.
"Financially literate students are more likely to save, less likely to overspend and less likely to report buying something because their friends did."
The TAC team also focused on menstrual health, educating the girls on what is normal and what symptoms require medical attention.
Statistics suggest a need for more open conversation surrounding menstruation.
In 2014, only 50 per cent of Kenyan women and girls reported that they openly discuss menstruation at home, and only 12 per cent of girls said that they would be comfortable receiving menstrual information from their mothers.
There is also a gap in Kenyan girls’ knowledge, as evidenced by the fact that 1 in 4 Kenyan girls do not associate menstruation with the potential to become pregnant.
Baraka Oontoyie Secondary School principal, Jeminah Mutia says it’s a privilege to have That Awkward Conversation - TAC visit to discuss menstrual health, financial literacy and empower the girls through mentorship.
"I believe this initiative will change mindsets in our adolescents and empower them as they have done today here and create impactful change in schools across the country,”Mutia said.
“It’s an amazing experience. It’s a mix of emotions. Happy moments, sad moments. Angry moments. Horrifying moments. The things we have seen that these girls are going through, the kind of misinformation, the kind of myths, its just horrifying. We need to spread more and more of this,” added Yamal Patel, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at 3rd Park Hospital.
Through providing health checks and one on one conversations, the team aims for early detection of various illness including endometriosis that continues to affect girls and women, depreciating their quality of life.
According to Patel, when you interact with girls in this age group, and you correct things from this age group, they will not have issues when they grow up.
“When we are delaying our diagnosis, most of these girls when they are picked up, their cases are already complicated. In a bid to do so, twice a year, we run the endometriosis marathon, an ultrasound marathon in the first quarter and a surgical marathon in the second quarter.
"Going forward, for us to be able to have the impact that we want, we welcome partnerships be it from health, finance and other sectors. Ultimately, our goal is to inspire informed choices, one conversation at a time,” Wathanu said.
Various institutions led by Kuramo Capital Management provided sanitary towels and undergarments to all the girls.