This was an eventful and educational day visiting two slum areas - Karibangi South and Mali Saba. As we took the Matatu bus to our destinations, we knew it would be an interesting day. Issues on early teenage pregnancy, gender inequality and responsible citizenship for a better Kenya would be addressed from a micro level.
In Karibangi we visited the Safe Space office of Nish our local coordinator. It was a small and simple one story building with a 10 x 5 ft office space for Nish and a 20 x 20 ft meeting room for skills training sessions like sexual education for 15-24 year old girls. This was a forum to field any question under the sun regarding sexual relations 'in cognito' (confidential questions written on pieces of paper as the leader read them off and eveyone contributed views on possible resolutions). Questions fielded were reality queries like "What do you do when you are raped by your boyfriend?" to "What if you had a new boyfriend and your ex wanted to get back to you?" to "Who do you turn to when you find out you are pregnant?" Nish and Ndichu were there to provide a basic framework for analysis and decision making (3 Cs - choice, control and consequence) as well as practical advise on important values to consider and alternative practical solutions. The senior leads were there to facilitate and contribute to discussions. Later, the younger set of kids treated us to some skits, African dances and poems. This just demonstrated that Safe Spaces was there to provide education, art expression and support to the community of teenage girls.
In the afternoon off we went to Mali Saba to introduce ourselves to the community as well as to learn more about the sexual education for younger set of children 12-14 yrs. Also we met and dialogued with young mothers who had early pregnancies (15-17 yrs). and had a project to educate and do preventive pregnancy for the other kids under the guidance of the local Safe Spaces lead girls. Again we were treated to a series of contemporary as well as traditional African dances, sexual ed bearing messages in skits, poems and cheers. Despite their poverty conditions, their spirited performances proved their self-dignity, love of life and faith had the better part of them. We ended our day with them, taking and sharing photos, mingling with the kids and exchanging greetings of "Mambo"s (How are you doing?) and "Poa"s (Doing good).
This was an awesome day where we saw and observed how the lives of these girls were finding meaning and solace in Safe Spaces...where their future and hopes were crystallizing...where the building blocks for a better tomorrow was being laid.
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