A recovery centre to offer shelter to survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) has been set up at the Iten County Referral Hospital (ICRH).
According to Elizabeth Atwani from Accelerate organisation, who sponsored the centre, the centre will be a one-stop shop offering all services that a GBV survivor requires in terms of treatment and psycho-social support among others.
Speaking during the launch of the centre Wednesday, Ms. Atwani said survivors will also be guided concerning access to justice.
The county gender based violence focal person at the ICRH, Philemon Kittony, said according to the data the hospital has received 100 cases of GBV in the last three months with 34 cases being sexual gender based violence (SGBV).
Kittony said SGBV was the most common form of GBV followed by intimate partner violence saying the centre has come at the right time as the hospital has been facing challenges of where to keep survivors after receiving treatment before they are released to go back home,
He however said the government and partners efforts in fighting FGM have started to pay off saying this year very few cases have been reported.
The Chief Officer at the governor’s office Lorna Kipsang, who presided over the launch on behalf of the Deputy Governor Prof Grace Cheserek, expressed concern that most cases of GBV were not being reported in the county.
She therefore called on residents to ensure they report such cases so that survivors can receive help.
The chief officer appealed to residents to stop FGM, which she said had no place in the 21st century saying it had adverse effects on the lives of the survivors yet it added no value to their lives
“Instead of taking our girls for FGM, we should be taking them to school and ensure that their learning is uninterrupted,” she said.
By Alice Wanjiru
