An organisation dubbed the Chief Ojwang Foundation has embarked on a mentorship programme for secondary school girls in Suba North, Homa Bay County.
A mentor in the foundation, Pauline Achieng, said they were distributing sanitary pads to girls to make them focus on their academics.
She said they were also mentoring the girls to reduce the number of teen pregnancies.
Suba North is a constituency that borders Lake Victoria and has many beaches where many cases of defilement of girls have been reported.
Achieng said more than 1500 schoolgirls were mentored and given sanitary pads through the foundation.
Achieng, who was accompanied by other mentors Vidah Achieng and Violet Antonio, said they are mentoring the girls to overcome social challenges associated with stress and behaviours that interfere with academics.
She said they have intensified the exercise ahead of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Education (KCSE) exams next month.
“We want the girls, especially those in Standard 8 and Form 4, to focus on their revision before they sit the KCSE exams. Exams are around the corner, but this is the time sex pests also take advantage of our vulnerable girls and prey on them,” Achieng said.
Addressing girls at Ogongo Mixed Secondary School in Lambwe Ward, Achieng said they targeted to empower schoolgirls to improve performance.
A similar exercise was also undertaken at Osodo Mixed, Fr. Tilen Mixed, and Kiridno Mixed secondary schools.
The foundation is also working on reducing HIV infection among adolescents.
“We are doing follow-up activities with girls whom we have enlisted for further assistance,” Achieng said.
Achieng said the foundation has donated more than 120 desks to primary schools such as Kombe, Nyamasare, and Usungu primary schools.
“The foundation is fully sponsoring 103 students at secondary school and university. We worked closely with chiefs and community health promoters to identify the beneficiaries,” she said.
Ogongo Secondary School Principal Lawrence Oyamo said the programme complements what the government gives to school girls.
“This is a good programme since it intends to uplift young, vulnerable girls academically. Our girls will concentrate on their studies and protect themselves from sex predators,” Oyamo said.
By Davis Langat
