By Allan Kai
Youth from Moroto Slums in Tudor, Mvita sub-county, Mombasa, organized a sensitization and community dialogue meeting to address issues related to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and sexual discrimination, particularly among underage girls and boys. Search For Common Ground (SFCG) facilitated the event through its Youth Talk Program, which empowers and trains youth in journalistic skills and community peace-building to find localized solutions to local issues.
The young journalists mobilized community members and other stakeholders to discuss and develop solutions to the problems faced in Moroto. Residents of Moroto welcomed the initiative, commending the youth for raising important issues that plague their community.
The youth organized an open-air theatre where they showcased creative dramas and poetry in line with the day's theme. Salim Mwangata, the village elder, was ecstatic about the engagement, stating that the dialogue was productive and stressing the importance of continued discussions and interventions.
Moroto Youth acted out a play about GBV and sexual discrimination during the dialogue and sensitization meeting. Photo: Ali Mzee
"Moroto has many cases of GBV, and the 'kangaroo court' system is prevalent. We appreciate the initiative by Search For Common Ground to train our youth and create the capacity to organize such an activity. We can get relevant information and find solutions to the issue of sexual discrimination within the family setup and the community as a whole," said Mr Mwangata.
“What impressed me most with this interaction is that all demographics have been included, moving away from the old ideologies where people thought these issues only affected women and girls. Inclusion of men in such dialogues allows them to be vital stakeholders in this fight against GBV,” said Nicholas Opondo, Mombasa County government representative from the Public Administration, Youth Gender, Sports and Social Services.
People with disabilities (PWD) were represented at the event by Bahati Kunga, a Sauti Ya Wanawake Member from Moroto. She expressed satisfaction with including PWDs in the interactions with SFCG, lamenting that they have long been left behind in matters related to GBV.
Bahati Kunga, a Sauti Ya Wanawake Member and PWD activist, answers a question posed by the youth. Photo: Ali Mzee
"PWDs are often discriminated against within the family setup and the community. Many are suffering and do not know where or how to get help, especially considering the deaf and mute, who face communication barriers when reporting GBV in hospitals and police stations," highlighted Ms Kunga. "We hope this organization will put more effort into rallying those in power to ensure they have translators and interpreters in hospitals and police stations," she added.
Husna Aisha, the director of Young and Single Mothers CBO in Moroto, found the engagement valuable for networking and connecting with stakeholders from various departments, agencies, and organizations that they can leverage to find solutions.
Husna Aisha, Director of Young and Single Mothers CBO, engages with other stakeholders at the event. Photo: Ali Mzee
"From today's engagement, I can now connect with children's officers, youth-friendly centers, and other capacity-building initiatives such as the Youth Talk Program, all of which I can utilize to help the young girls and mothers in our organization," said Ms Aisha.
SFCG County Director Judy Kimamo lamented the situation in Moroto regarding GBV and sexual discrimination, underscoring the need for such community-led engagements.
"By conducting adolescent-led dialogues, we find that young people designed this dialogue on GBV, seeing that Moroto is one of the areas where young girls are not very safe. Young girls have a high chance of facing violence, be it sexual, physical, or through deprivation. Therefore, the journalists from our program saw the need to have a conversation around this issue that affects young men and women here in Moroto," said Ms. Kimamo.
The Youth Talk Program seeks to equip adolescents with journalistic skills and facilitate their creation of awareness and running problem-solving campaigns on issues affecting their communities. In addition to Moroto, the program has also been implemented in four other sub-counties: Kisauni (Mwakirunge), Nyali (Kadzandani), and Jomvu (Bangladesh).
