Enhance (mental) health of 1,358 Kenyan youths

As planned, KAP's GlobalGiving-funded activities for marginalized youths started on the 1st October 2021. Trusting that people will assist us find the remaining $ 5,971 to fund our total budget of $ 25,435 we booked in our full plans for two core- and two advanced trainings of youths-Community Resource Persons (‘CRP-Us’) and their beneficiaries over the period of one year. Thus there will be four core trainings and many follow-up activities such as micro-meetings (group counselling sessions), micro-teachings, guided education- and individual counselling sessions.

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION
To start, there is the crucial question: Where to find the most needy and responsive participants?

In KAP we say that good Community Mobilization is half the work done.
It is an intensive process and not easy, especially as nowadays many people ask to be paid for learning, which KAP does not do. The Community Resource Persons trained by KAP are pure volunteers.
Altogether the process for new areas takes at least two months.

* Identification of Focus Areas 
The first step is identification of the areas of operation. The choices are guided by considerations of need, availability, also including interest, and accessibility.
For chosing advanced training areas, introductory sessions were held with Unreached Youths in Lukhuna/Mitume on the 21st October 2021 and with Teldet Leaders on the 22nd October 2021. During this process, the areas of Lukhuna/Mitume and Kapkoi Sisal showed not to be viable for (renewed) activities.

Eventually, the Focus Areas selected were
For new trainings:
(1) Kobos-Zea in Kwanza, consisting of several villages amongst the huge state-owned ADC (Agricultural Development Corporation) farms. Most people here are materially poor. There are many young people. For most, their income is their work as farm hands, with idleness during the other seasons;
(2) Kiboroa (Gitwamba), high on Mount Elgon with its cosmopolitan, farming population and history of ethnic and political violence.
For advanced training cycles:
(1) Kissawai-Teldet, on the lower slopes of Mount Elgon, bordering forest areas. Here people work as low-income workers on the farms of large-land owners, or earn a small or moderate income from their own small maize, vegetable or coffee farms. Also this area has a history of much communal violence. Here participants were drawn from KAP's previously trained trauma/peace CRPs (Community Resource Persons).
(2) Sabata near Matunda/Kiminini, a highly populated rural area with generally low-income earners. Its ‘Unreached Youths’ CRPs are currently about to graduate from their core training which was started in April 2021.

* Identification of Needs, Resources, Participants, Training Venues and Cooks
After Focus Areas were selected, there was mapping, and discussion with area leaders of all sorts and often also with the youths themselves. Introductory sessions were held with participating organizations and youths, who in turn identified/ are currently identifying the trainings’ participants. Also training venues and cooks were identified. Participating organisations agree to provide their premises free-of-charge. This is part of their in-kind community contributions, and aims to encourage community ownership. Meals and tea are prepared by local hotelis (small restaurants), community groups and at local rates. 

Welcome!
“Most welcome!” said a teacher and his visiting police officer when KAP staffs visited Kobos B Primary school. “We will support you wholeheartedly in mobilizing our youths. They are so lost in gambling – pool tables, playing drafts and Kamari”. “And we arrest them” said the policeman, “because they start fighting over money, use the funds for alcohol and drugs and that again leads to security issues”. They also shared their worries about the many school drop-outs, idleness, bullying and suicides amongst the youths in the location.

The main issues affecting the youths were identified as follows:
Drug/ substance & alcohol abuse; Violence e.g. stabbings; fighting, bullying and suicides; Stress & pressure to succeed in every area of life; Political & social issues; Struggle to differentiate between “good” and “bad” sources of news, and whom to “follow” as role models, Lack of basic education and general (great) poverty; Lack of employment opportunities even for those with education and/ or skills; Issues related to body image; Low self-esteem thus negative stereotyping in the community; Many broken families with abandonment and isolation; Lack of affordable housing; Depression; Cyber addiction and gambling; Teen pregnancies; Underage sex; Early and single parenting and parents pressure; Teens bearing the responsibility for their families; The impact of COVID-19 (anxiety and stress); Mistrust and disunity amongst villagers because of farm structures being based on ethnic composition.

A GOOD START WITH ADVANCED TRAINING SESSIONS
The first Advanced Training Sessions were held at the venue of Teldet’s FPFK Church from the 15th through the 17th November 2021 with 25 participants (plan: 20). Most participants were aged 15-25 years old, three-quarters were girls.

* Teldet Evaluation Remarks
By participants: “Thank you very much!!”: “The education was very helpful, we have received something that we have never received before”.
“The self-awareness topic helped me to understand my life better, I can now move on with my life.” “I have learned hat keeping secrets is not good for my health”; “I have learned how to forgive”. “The teachings on drug abuse and its effects were very relevant. It will help me in preventing myself from becoming an addict”. “I feel strengthened in how to prevent STIs (sexually transmitted diseases) and HIV/AIDS”. “You helped me in how to live peacefully, also with my parents”.
KAP Staffs remarked: “In this community the attitude that ‘Nothing Without Money’ strongly prevails. Yet participants came, with their number increasing by the day”.
Other remarks show that, as anticipated, more work still needs to be done:
Participants: “Our parents are mocking us, please help us to live in good terms with them”. “I am 16 years old and have two children. My in-laws dislike me: Please help me to deal with my frustrations”. “I dropped out of primary school early, and have nothing to do in life. Please help me”. “My mother and I have been made outcasts in our community due to cultural issues, and sometimes drunk men try to rape us”.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
• After failing to hold last year’s due to COVID-19, on Saturday the 20th November 2021 a lively, informative and successful Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place at the Full Gospel Church in Bondeni, Kitale, the latter generously availing their premises free-of-charge. It was well-attended by 8 (out of 13) Boards Members and 28 KAP Staffs and Community Trainers (TOTs).
• In addition, Mutunga Masika & Associates further enhanced the capacity of three financial support Staffs during October and November 2021 through training on-the-job. This was most helpful.

MANY THANKS TO ALL DONORS FOR MAKING THIS IMPORTANT WORK POSSIBLE!

Links:

• KAP Website - Search for us on Google

• KAP Financial Report November 2021 (DOCX)