Blog
Tackling period poverty
The topic of menstruation is often met with awkwardness and embarrassment; it is surrounded by taboos, and shrouded in secrecy. In July 2016 I travelled to Ndhiwa, Kenya as I wanted to discover how girls in this community experience and deal with ‘that time of the month’. This research was conducted as part of my Masters in Social Development from the University of Sussex. Partnering with Team Kenya to conduct this was incredibly worthwhile, and such a unique experience to talk to these girls first-hand about their everyday experiences of periods, schooling, and the effects of poverty. I interviewed girls…
Read moreBrighter Futures
We have recently completed a Comic Relief funded research project into the root causes of School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV) in Ndhiwa and the most successful interventions. Our research found that: SRGBV in Ndhiwa is highly prevalent but underreported by schools and local government 62% of girls have experienced violent or sexual threats in schools 67% of girls felt that they may receive lower grades if they did not reciprocate sexual advances from male teachers 1 in 4 respondents felt that it was sometimes ok to raise a hand to a girl Our research showed that the key perpetrators…
Read moreMount Kenya October 2017
Join our team of trekkers this October and climb the spectacular Mount Kenya! Climbing to 5,199 meters, Mount Kenya is the second tallest mountain in Africa. The scenery surrounding this designated World Heritage Site is breath-taking. The trek takes you from the dusty lowlands though ancient forest and unique glacier-sculpted alpine heath, up to jagged volcanic peaks and glistening glaciers. In the 2800sq km National Park there are over 800 recorded plant species with 81 species being endemic to Mount Kenya. You can also see a wide variety of wildlife such as elephant, buffalo, bushbuck, waterbuck, zebra, hyena, colobus monkey…
Read moreAspire Scholarships success
In December 2016, the Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results from the exams taken in November 2016, were released. These are the equivalent to UK GCSE/A level school exams and are what students in Kenya require for university entrance. A history of scandal In 2016, after widespread cheating in previous years, the Kenyan government dissolved the national examination board and arrested its members after they were implicated in widespread cheating on the university entrance exams. Half a million high school students sit the exams annually and in 2015 the results of 5,101 candidates were cancelled because of cheating, as…
Read moreMeet the Kenyan girl turning HIV stigma on its head
When Anatalia was 16, her daughter, Serafin, was born. As a young girl at primary school in Ndhiwa, Anatalia was forced into a sexual relationship with her secondary school teacher. Throughout the pregnancy which followed, this man offered her no financial or emotional support – even suggesting that she have an abortion, a practice which, being illegal in Kenya, would have put Anatalia’s life in grave danger. Shortly after giving birth, Anatalia noticed that she was falling ill more frequently than usual with headaches and fevers. When she was finally able to access the medical support she needed, she received the…
Read moreWorld AIDS Day
1st December is World AIDS Day, a time when the world shows its commitment to the fight against HIV and AIDS, its support for people living with HIV/AIDS and remembers people who have lost their lives to the virus. Inaugurated in 1988, it was the first global health day and has continued to be marked annually. The day is important to Team Kenya. Recent research has found that between 2005 and 2015, the number of new HIV cases in Kenya grew by 7.1% on average and that the country overall has a prevalence rate of 6%. However, in Homa Bay…
Read moreInternational Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
25 November is the UN’s Annual International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism to work to end violence against women and girls around the world, culminating on International Human Rights Day on 10 December. Orange is the UN’s chosen colour to mark the action each year, a colour representing a brighter future without violence. The theme of this year’s call for action is ‘Orange the World: Raise Money to End Violence Against Women and Girls’. The emphasis is on working together to find sustainable funding methods to bring about…
Read moreSuccess Story – Roseline Akoth!
Roseline is 24 years old and is a qualified nurse working at a Mission Hospital in western Kenya. Roseline was born in the village of Kagan in Homa Bay County, western Kenya. Roseline grew up with her mother, father and five siblings. She is the fourth born out of the six children in the family. Due to her father, who provided the majority of the income to the family, falling ill and being unable to work, Roseline’s family was pushed into a difficult situation: “My oldest sister was forced to drop out of school due to a lack of fees,…
Read moreThis woman in rural Kenya is supporting her family thanks to this simple intervention…
Linet Akinyi, a resident of Ndhiwa, rural Western Kenya, a widow and a mother of 6 children (3 boys and 3 girls) has been the sole bread winner in her family since the death of her husband six years ago. Life was not easy for Linet. A typical woman-led farming family, Linet exclusively depends on farming produce for income for school fees for her children, food and other basic commodities. Three years ago her three daughters and three boys would occasionally go to school and some days completely stay away because of lack of food, lack of school fees and lack of…
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