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OAYouthkenya

IMPROVE HEALTH AND HEALTH OF ADOLESCENTS AND YOUTH

Project Goal

We believe in improved access to quality and responsive RMNCAH and SRHR services and information among young people especially those marginalized and vulnerable adolescents and youth in Kenya.
We believe that when young people are empowered and supported, they make informed decisions and have healthy relationships devoid of risky behaviors and partner violence.

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The Situation and Context

The Kenyan constitution 2010 strongly emphasizes on the right to health to everyone including reproductive health. The Kenya Adolescents SRH policy, Guidelines for provision of AYFS, National Youth Development Policy , RMANCAH+N Investment Framework among others provide clear mechanisms for improving access to RH services for adolescents and youth: a demography usually left behind yet contributes largely to negative RMANCAH indicators.

While the implementation of various initiatives have led to great results, gaps still exist especially with focus to young people, an opportunity that warrant programmatic intervention. There are still demand and supply gaps in terms of access, quality and uptake of RH services and information among AY especially the marginalized and vulnerable such as PWDs, those in informal settlements.

Limited strategic RMNCAH and SRHR spaces for involvement of AY aged 15-30 years in planning, resourcing, implementation and evidence building and related policies, directly results to this cohort contributing to higher negative RMNCAH indicators. The challenges are largely contributed to by limited responsive AY services and information gaps amongst, socio-cultural barriers and beliefs, uncoordinated sector response devoid of unnecessary competitions and sideshows.

Our programming are anchored on rights based approaches to enhance quality and total access to RAMNCAH and SRHR services by young people in their communities and where they feel comfortable. We believe that when the capacity of youth-led and serving organizations are strengthened, adolescents and youth uptake of services and information will be enhanced and their voices inform planning and programming. We believe that meaningfully adolescents and youth engagement in policy, advocacy, and service and information delivery and demand creation, in partnership with stakeholders and adult partnership, is key to reducing the negative indicators. The young people through their organizations/agencies and networks understand and appreciate the unique yet extremely diverse health seeking behaviours of this demography. Their efforts can help reduce access barriers and sexually education and health literacy gaps that promote early and risky sexual encounters, unmet contraception demands (as per FP2020 data), unsafe abortion, HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancy, early marriage and early child bearing.

Anticipated Outcomes

  • In line with our strategy, we strongly believe that engagement of young people and supporting them to realize and access quality and stigma free RMNCAH and sexual reproductive health including contraception is in line with the Kenyan constitution.
  • A critical mass of young people who are accessing quality and stigma free RMNCAH and SRHR information and services.
  • We believe in improved access to quality and responsive RMNCAH and SRHR services and information among young people especially those marginalized and vulnerable adolescents and youth in Kenya.
  • We believe that when young people are empowered and supported, they make informed decisions, have healthy relationships devoid of risky behaviours and partner violence.