By Fredrick Odiero
A few years ago Joyce Ombewa had lost hope in life after dropping out of school.
She groped in the dark with nowhere to turn for solace, but, thanks to Plan International which came to her aid and a few other Girls in Seme Sub -County Kisumu County who had dropped out of school, she now has hope.
Ombewa says she now has a story to tell courtesy of Plan International.
Speaking with her head high, Ombewa says they have been involved in number of vocational trainings in Seme Sub County through Plan International.
She commends the organisation for the gesture which has made them have hope at the end of the day.
Ombewa. who gave a moving testimony during the 1st annual County Girls summit at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu organized by Plan International, says the organidation should extend the same gesture elsewhere.
She says many girls in Seme and beyond have dropped out of school due to one reason or the other and have nowhere to turn to.
Ombewa says they still have hope that organisations such as Plan International can provide interventions. She says many young girls suffer in silence after being abused in one way or the other.
Another beneficiary Joyce Otieno from Arom also within Seme Sub county says she has learnt tailoring and community work after dropping out of school due to early pregnancy.
Otieno says she had initialy lost all hope, but commends Plan International for the gesture since she has been given tools of trade. Kisumu County County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, ICT and Human Resource Development, Mr John Awiti says they have opened rescue centres for girls who have been abused in Ahero.
He says they have also opened another rehabilitation centre in Nyangoma area.
Awiti says that young girls and women should come forward and benefit from such ventures. He says the county government plans to come up with more vocational training centres where Sh25 million has been set aside to assist the girls.
Others funds which have been conducting similar things include Uwezo Fund, Youths Enterprise Fund and Women fund across the country.
Plan International programme director Mercy Chege says many girls have been abused and hence dropped out of school and suffer in silence.
She says interventions are needed towards that end. Chege says they have been working with the county government in Seme.
“Here early pregnancies and school dropsouts among girls are very rampant,’ she noted.
She commends the county government of Kisumu for the support so far given towards that end. She says it is sad that some 13,000 school girls were reported to have been pregnant and some married off but the men are not mentioned anywhere.
Chege says it was time that boys who are abused in one way or the other are also helped.
She says that since 1982, Plan International Kenya has been working with communities and the government to raise awareness about the importance of children’s rights.
“As an independent children’s rights organisation, we remain committed to supporting vulnerable and marginalised children and their communities to be free from poverty,” she adds.
She says they have impacted the lives of millions of children and established strategic partnerships with like-minded allies.
Chege notes, however, that a number of barriers still stand in the way of realizing children’s rights in Kenya including child marriage, child labour, trafficking, female genital mutilation and violence.
She says they apply a rights-based approach in working towards transformed institutions, laws and communities that respect the rights of children, especially girls in Kenya.
The top official says they are active in 18 counties across the country: Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Tharaka Nithi, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Taita Taveta, Kilifi, Moambasa, Kwale, Vihiga, Kakamega, Kisii, Migori, Homabay, Kisumu and Marsabit.
She says the key areas of work are: Child protection, improved access to basic, quality education and early childhood development, Quality healthcare including water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as adolescent and child health, youth employability and economic opportunities and resilience building through disaster risk management.
