Kendi Muthomi strikes a figure of joviality that underscores her successes and the profound impact she has had on the lives of young Meru girls. Concerned by the numerous cases of teen pregnancy and female genital mutilation in the county.
Muthomi embarked on a journey to create awareness and inspire the youth. Her mission began during the Covid-19 pandemic period, when she witnessed firsthand the struggles faced by young girls in her village.
Many girls were falling victim to societal pressures and harmful traditions that “killed” their dreams of a brighter future, she says.
Determined to make a difference, the 28-year-old quit a job in the civil service and founded One To All (OTA) to pursue advocacy.
“I was working in a government office and I saw how much the pandemic had affected young girls and women,” Muthomi says.“I sat down and thought of what I could do to cushion these girls.”
OTA also targets male adolescents, who she says are contributing to the pregnancies.“We are creating a platform for both genders to interact and learn and think beyond the community,” Muthomi says.
The aim is to create awareness about gender-based violence and other social ills.
CHANGING THE NARRATIVE
A report by the Kenya Health information Systems shows that last year, Meru had the highest proportion of adolescent pregnancies (between the ages of 10 and 19) in the country.
This has informed Muthomi’s push to start her mentorship programmes.
Over the last year, Muthomi, a Young African Leaders’ Initiative (YALI) cohort 42 graduate, has mentored more than 1,600 girls in Meru.
YALI is an initiative of the United States launched in 2010 by retired President Barack Obama.
It offers four-week courses in business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, public management and social issues.
Muthomi learnt about YALI through social media. Interested, she applied for a course on civic leadership and successfully got admitted.
The course orients those who are or aspire to be civically engaged and serve the public through NGOs, CBOs and volunteerism.
This enabled her to acquire more skills and gain insights in the field, enabling her to remain proactive. Apart from offering training, OTA also provides an opportunity for the youth to access leadership and development skills.
Every month, together with a team of dedicated volunteers, they visit primary and secondary schools in Meru to educate students about their rights. So far, they have visited 14 schools.
“The reason we engage students in their schools is because it is a controlled environment. We involve teachers to support them in the programme,” Muthomi says.
The sessions are tailored such that various topics are addressed based on the needs of the school.
These include leadership development, drugs and substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and sexual and reproductive health rights and gender-based violence.
RADIO OUTREACH
Early this year, the organisation started a radio show, where they usually host talk shows aimed at bringing the voices of the youth closer. The Unsilenced airs on NexRadio with talks around gender-based violence.
It invites experts as guests to shed light on GBV in a fun and easy way for the audience to understand.
“It airs every Tuesday and we have attracted hundreds of listeners who discuss issues around confronting challenges of child abuse and physical violence, such as defilement,” Muthomi says.
Through this initiative, the organisation has attracted a team of young legal experts, who assist in offering the necessary assistance to the survivors, including pro bono services and referrals for them to get justice.
Additionally, there is a mentorship department that brings together volunteers who designs session plans to be addressed during the school and community engagements.
Muthomi’s approach is both personal and impactful. She shares stories of resilience and empowerment that resonate with her audience.
Many girls, once silenced by social norms, have now found their voice through this initiative, she says.
VOLUNTEERS’ EXPERIENCE
Judy Muriuki and Collinira Kaaniru, both in college, share their dreams, ambitions and the desire for a life free from the shackles of harmful traditions.
Muriuki, a third-year student at Meru National Polytechnic, says her decision to join OTA was more than a choice. Her desire was to bring a positive change in her community and to gain a “personal” growth.
“We want to give back to the community by positively impacting on both the girl and the boy child,” Muriuki says.
“We sensitise young men on the need to be keepers of their sisters.”
Kaaniru says the platform has been an opportunity for her to practise what she has learnt in school.
“I do this because it is in my heart,” she says.
She joined OTA after noticing gaps in her village, where young girls were not getting the necessary education due to societal norms.
“I wanted to create an environment where young girls know their rights and access basic education without any hindrances.”
In her interaction with young girls, Kaaniru says many of them in the rural areas have been denied their rights, leaving them unaware of how to seek help or respond in challenging situations.
The mentorship programmes have created a safe space for the girls and rallied boys to the cause.
“I am happy I joined OTA. We have managed to empowerment many young boys to understand why they are supposed to be protect young girls from exploitation. They now grow their value,” she says.
Running the programmes has not been without its fair of challenges. Muthomi says apart from funding, which is hindering them from doing more activities in the community, there are cultural barriers.
“The misinterpretations of what we are trying to bring into the community has really affected the sustainability of our impact,” she says.
To overcome this, Muthomi says they are involving various stakeholders, including state agencies and members of the community, so that they understand their role. Her focus is now to expand their reach to all sub counties in the county and to make a sustainable change.
“We want to have a more sustain - able future rather than short-term programmes. Things that can be done even in a time when we are not there,” Muthomi says.