Our Stories

To mark the annual United Nations 16 Days of Activism to End Gender Based Violence, in early December 2025 the So They Can Kenya team conducted a number of comprehensive community engagement forums across 10 of our school communities in Baringo County, Kenya.

Taking place over six days, the forums sensitively tackled a number of issues that have been identified by our local teams as drivers of poverty and barriers to access to quality education within these communities.

Our education team, including Wilkister Akinyi (Education Manager) picture above, Franklin Arukudi (Program Officer), Christopher Kakimon (Program Officer), and Festus Lomuk (Program Officer), alongside our Champions of Change and local government officials led by the Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) conducted sessions that came under four main themes:

• Harmful Effects of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) and the Link Between Child Herding and Disrupted Education;
• Education, Health, and Child Labour: HPV Vaccine Sensitization and Myth Dispelling;
• Integrated Discussion: Parental Alcoholism, Lack of Holiday Supervision, and Child Vulnerability; and
• Collective Community Responsibility: Reporting Abuse and Planning Constructive Holidays.

Of particular relevance to the 16 Days of Activism were the sessions that were designed to raise awareness on the harm caused by FGC, early marriage, teenage pregnancies, sexual health and vaccines, and to encourage families to protect and support their girls. Committed to community-driven approaches to development, the sessions were designed by our Kenyan team. This ensures that the content was not only impactful and timely, but is appropriately grounded within the specific cultural, social, economic and political contexts of Baringo County, Kenya.

So They Can’s Education and Community Development Programs are also underpinned by a localisation approach that recognises meaningful change can only occur when multiple levels of influence within communities are actively engaged. Accordingly, the sessions were also facilitated by the Assistant County Commissioner (ACC ) of the Chemolingot Division, Sub-County Health Services Coordinator, local Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs, Parent Champions and School Board of Management representatives. The team was also accompanied by a healthcare professional, who supported the community to understand both the legal and health risks involved.

Across the six days a total of 1,307 community members (491 Male, 816 Female) were sensitised on child rights and protection. These sensitisation sessions fall under So They Can’s Education Program and Keeping Girls in School project.

The images in this post capture our Kenya team and Baringo community members during So They Can’s community engagement forums.