So They Can was delighted that two of our Nakuru officers – Franklin Arukudi and Moses Gachunji – were recently appointed to committee positions for the Central and South Rift Region Chapter of Girls Not Brides Kenya. For the committee, Moses was appointed to the Secretariat as Coordinator for Nakuru and Baringo counties and Franklin was elected as Advocacy Committee lead Baringo county.

Girls Not Brides Kenya is a national partnership of over 135 civil society organisations working to influence policy and budget decisions that help end child marriage. The national partnership aims to amplify the voices of girls across Kenya to ensure that all girls enjoy their rights and reach their full potential. Girls Not Brides Kenya operates across 11 regions, coordinated by regional leads, and covers 25 out of Kenya’s 47 counties.

So They Can joined the partnership in September 2019 representing Nakuru and Baringo Counties, which are both part of the Central and South Rift Region Chapter. Our organisation’s experience and expertise in combatting child marriage and Female Genital Cutting (FGC) has allowed us to actively contribute to this important initiative.

So They Can’s Parent Champions, who are community leaders and advocates in girls’ and child rights, are serving as a clear model for intergenerational and community dialogues. Likewise, our Keeping Girls In Schools project underscores a commitment to ensuring that girls’ voices remain central, they are sensitised to their rights from an early age, are provided with leadership skills and have safe places to convene. 

More broadly, our team has been able to meaningfully contribute to Girls Not Brides Kenya through networking, providing context analysis, engaging in advocacy and action planning, and through resource mobilisation. The Girls Not Brides network has also underscored So They Can’s ongoing commitment to collaboration with other NGOs and relevant actors in the ecosystem, including Dandelion Africa, World Vision Kenya, Sauti Ya Dada and Better Lives.

At So They Can, we see collaboration within the sector as vital for sharing expertise and maximising our impact.

Congratulations Moses and Franklin!