By Fredrick Odiero
The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Kenya has rooted for empowerment of more girls in education spaces to enable the continent to realize development on all fronts.
The clarion call was made at the Mama Grace Onyango social hall in Kisumu where eminent FAWE members converged to celebrate 30 years since inception of the organization.
Professor Miriam Were noted that many girls still suffered prejudices when it came to education.
“Women are not allowed to do medicine in some African countries,” Prof Were said.
She said that the organization had come right on time to support acquisition of education for women and girls for development of the society at all levels.
Prof. Were added that they implemented programs that aim to empower the girl child through gender-responsive education.
Colette Muhozi, a member called for the transformation of ordinary schools into gender-responsive schools that offer quality education and pay attention to the physical, academic and social dimensions of the girl child.
“Our work focuses on influencing action to reduce gender disparities in access, retention, performance and completion through a range of initiatives,” she said.
Earlier, the caucus witnessed the launch of the Mama Grace Onyango Foundation for Digital Health in Africa which was started to promote the health and well-being of residents in the Lake region economic bloc and the larger continent.
The foundation was set up in honor of Mama Grace Onyango, Kenya’s first woman mayor and first woman Member of Parliament.
Rebecca Kadaga, First Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda praised the initiative saying it will boost healthcare provision in the region.
Kadaga said that if well harnessed, the power of digital technologies and health innovation solutions will ensure better health for everyone.
Also in attendance was Kisumu Deputy Governor Matthew Owili Owili who echoed Kadaga’s comments and added that digital health will change the face of healthcare in the region as it has in the developed countries.
“It can make distance and remoteness obsolete; it can stretch public health budgets and it can make scarce, specialist resources become available through the internet,” he said.
Owili disclosed that the County’s administration had started working on the pledges they made on digital health during campaigns and that they had already digitized health management.
Also in attendance was Mama Grace Onyango, Dr. Julia Ojiambo, Zipporah Kittony and Great Lakes University Vice Chancellor Professor Hazel Mumbo among other dignitaries.
