Education

LOHYI International implements education interventions in various counties across Kenya with the aim of ensuring educational right to local vulnerable young people, promoting inclusive equitable, quality education. The objective of the organization is to enable participation, engagement and inclusion of the marginalized.

Education is a vital human right and plays a key role in human, social, and economic development.

~ Duncan Kithisya

We focus on education in schools, both in primary and secondary level. The following are our working areas under education:-

• Enrollment
• Retention
• Quality
• Transition

1. About

LOHYI International has aligned its education interventions to provide equal learning opportunities and sustainable learning experience for all children through addressing inefficiency, accountability and appropriateness for quality enhancement.

• Parent and community satisfaction.
• Created platforms to sensitize/create awareness, interact and acquired gainful information.
• Motivational and Mentoring sessions
• Life skills training
• Better performance and more confident 
• Girls are more comfortable and can stay in school without interruptions.
• Feel motivated inspired and encouraged.

2. Solutions

a) Mentorship & Motivation

Mentoring is a process for the informal transmission of knowledge, social capital and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to work, career, or professional development; mentoring entails informal communication, usually face-to-face and during a sustained period of time, between a person who is perceived to have greater relevant knowledge, wisdom, or experience (the mentor) and a person who is perceived to have less.

The aim of mentorship and motivation is to build positive friendships, provide a platform guidance and support and inspire children to reach their full potential. This program involves the same genders whereby they are gathered in one class and all mentored on issues concerning societal issues and encouragement to work hard in their education hence tips on how to set objectives for their own.

This focus on;

1. Sanitizing on drug and substance abuse
2. Peer pressure/self esteem.
3. Sex, Love and Relationships
4. Gender based violence
5. HIV/AID’S Awareness
6. Hygiene and sanitation
7. Life skills and Career choices.

This program outlines the basis of a mentoring young generation in the community. As well as collecting first hand personal accounts on particular incidence from the young mates as they grow.

Life Skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enables individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.

We help young people identify goals and build a good and healthy future for themselves. The acquired abilities are practiced, mastered and perfected to become skills.

b) TVET (Technical Vocational Education & Training)

TVET is defined as building skills for work and life.

Is the education or training process where it involves, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences and acquisition of practical skills relating to occupations in various sectors of economic life and social life (as defined by UNESCO).

TVET comprises formal, non-formal and informal learning for the world of work. Young people, women and men Learn knowledge and skills from basic to advanced levels across a wide rage of institutional and working settings and in diverse socio-economic contexts.   In Kenya, most educational curriculum lacks practical and critical thinking needed to enable youth. Therefore, even the “educated” struggle with landing employment or engaging in entrepreneurial activities that enable them to catch up with market demands. Lacks of basic skills that promote enterprise have been a major setback factor in Kenya–leading to 40% of Kenyans living on less than $1/day. There are challenges in the way of overall economic success and self-reliance. The good news is that the potential “payback” or return on investment from resources and opportunities properly applied is very high. In other words, responsible programs established with long-term educational and vocational results in mind are very successful.

In many countries, TVET is often considered as second last education compared to the mainstream academic branch, but TVET is increasingly seen as the master key to poverty alleviation and social cohesion and a chance for countries to jump on the bandwagon of development and globalization. In China for example, where skilled laborers represent the backbone of the current economic expansion, at least one third of all secondary school students are enrolled in vocational schools.

But at the other end of the spectrum, many nations are still struggling to create those indispensable bridges between education and the world of work. For many countries like China, TVET is not an option, it’s a necessity, with primary school leavers on the rise throughout the world, the need to expand further learning opportunities is urgent. Yet, many secondary school systems are unable to absorb these large numbers and jobs are even harder to come by. Young people need skills that are flexible and relevant to the demands of a constantly evolving, globalized labour market.

In order to ensure quality in TVET, responsible national authorities should establish criteria and standards, subject to periodic review and evaluation, undertake benchmarking from other countries, applying to all aspects of technical and vocational education, Including;

1. All forms of recognition of achievement and consequent qualification
2. Staff qualifications
3. Ratios of teaching and training staff to learners
4. The quality of curricula and teaching materials.
5. Safety precautions for all learning and training environments; and
6. Physical facilities, buildings, libraries, laboratories, workshop layouts, quality and type of equipment.

To meet international training standards, programmes need to fully reflect on modern industry practices, have a strong focus on competency – based training methods and provide students with robust practical experience.

3. Projects

• Elimisha Dada Translates “Educate a Girl Child”
• Inua Kaka Initiative Translates “Nuture the Boy Child”
• Inua Back to School

a) Elimisha Dada

This project aims at keeping girls in school by proving sanitary towels to vulnerable girls in schools and equipping them with knowledge on how to handle their bodies. With a purpose to make local young girls more aware about their body changes and relevant topics during the provision of sanitary towels, LOHYI International organizes sessions to train them about Health and Personal Hygiene. Elimisha Dada’s strategy is not to duplicate the work of teachers in schools, but it strives to compliment it, our aim is to mentor the young generation on education and societal issues:

Background Information of” Elimisha Dada”Program

Elimisha Dada works as a package that observes the principle of inclusivity in all aspects of national development, where it fills the gaps that exist in our society through Education, Transformation, Mentorship and nurturing the young generation to be active citizens for a better future.

As aforementioned, Light of Hope supports several schools in the Machakos county and surroundings by providing more than 4000 girls with sanitary pads on a monthly basis. The distribution of sanitary pads is accompanied by educational talks to girls in classes 6, 7 and 8 and students from forms 1-4 on issues such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, nutrition, health, hygiene and sanitation. We recognize lack of knowledge and services around these matters which can lead to driving factors in early marriage, pregnancy, HIV transmissions and school drop-outs. The program responds to the reality that many girls do not attend school during their menstruation cycle. Some young girls are forced to stay at home the whole week because their families do not have the necessary funds to purchase sanitary pads. In Kenya, 850,000 girls miss 6 weeks of school every year because of their periods.

Following Light of Hope’s 2014 survey across the first 6 schools they visited in Machakos, it was found that on average 65% of girls missed a week from school per term due to their periods. This amounts to 203 out of 332 girls missing school. The lack of attendance affects their academic performance as many girls cannot reach the best of their ability. Monthly disruptions because of menstruation is also a contributing factor to higher school drop-out rates amongst girls in Kenya – 24% of girls do not complete their primary school education.

These findings encouraged the creation of the Elimisha Dada, ‘Educate your Sister’. It gives focus and attention to promoting the education of girls in Kenya into positive life opportunities. The initiative targets reach of 10,000 girls by 2020.From recent case studies collected, we have found that many girls have their first period at school and are sent home from their teachers because the teachers cannot provide them with a sanitary pad to allow them to continue their classes for the rest of the day.

b) Inua Kaka

This program is initiated to nurture, empower and transform the young generation in the community to take active responsibility as citizens for their destiny. The mentorship program is aimed to at improving the boys academic performance and hence retain them in school. We focus on encouraging, inspiring, motivating them to be responsible and active citizens in the future.

An abused or neglected child is a child who is harmed or threatened with physical or mental harm, by the acts or lack of action of a person responsible for the child’s care. In an effort to empower the Girl child and persistent campaign for awareness of girl’ retention in school, the society has ignored the plight of a boy child.

Extensive research has shown that the boy child is at high risk of dropping out of school than girls. The boy child of the 21^st century is faced with tremendous challenges which unless properly guarded the society is losing him.

These challenges include;

• Lack of Education
• Child Labor
• Discrimination in the allocation of wealth (single parented)
• Lack of potential in the job market
• Lack of guidance from the family and the society
• Drug and Substance abuse
• Sexual abuse/HIV and AID’s
• Dropping from school
• Poverty – Lack of basic needs
• Least opportunities in awarding of scholarships and Guidance

The first aim of every family and society should be to raise healthy and productive individuals who are physically, psychologically, socially and mentally well developed. The negligence of issues affecting the boy child is apparent and evident in most discourse and academic literature.

The boy child is associated with several vices due to the neglect in bid to find his footing – he may get engaged in irresponsible behaviour posing a major challenge to the society t large. We focus to promote  and encourage guidance  to address issues of;

1. Immorality
2. Sexuality
3. Aspect of sharing ideas, skills and innovations
4. Relationships
5. Self responsible
6. Communal responsibilities

Effects of Neglecting the Boy child.

• Imprisonment due to crime and drug $ substance abuse
• Lack of responsibility and focused young men in the society.
• Imbalance among genders which leads to marriage partner mismatch.

c) Inua Back to School

Background

The local children in Machakos County lack basic school supplies like school uniform, pair of shoes, bags, writing books, pens and pencils thus, most of the time they are send at home hence loitering on the streets and because their parents are poor, majority don’t go back to school thus high rate of school dropout. These young people who drop out of school engages in social vices for economic survival.

Inua Back to School   – Project aims at supporting the vulnerable children with school uniforms, school bags and shoes at the beginning of academic year (January) and supplement school supplies like books, pencils pens at the begging of every semester (January, may and September).

We aim to break the cycle of child marriage, babies and poverty by making sure young vulnerable teens remain in school by equipping them with tools to keep both girls and boys.

Inua Back School will to address necessities needed by students to feel they are in school environment by making sure their enough desks in school repair and renovate classes, Toilets, provide solar or electricity for smoothing learning during tuitions.

Health

Health is the state of being free from physical or psychological disease, illness or malfunction. When one is healthy, He or She has active strength of body and mind, either; physically, intellectually or morally.

It’s a constitutional right for every citizen in Kenya to access health facility and get proper Medical services.

Approach

Partnering with parents and make them aware on what CSE entails and its benefit to be key players in ending Sexual and Gender Based Violence as well as ensuring age appropriate CSE (comprehensive sexual education).

Setting up events that promote advocacy of Health Rights on towards ending Gender Based Violence thus promoting health.

Conducting Education programs in Beneficiary schools as well as other Institutions to provide CSE information as part of our Health Education Programs in schools.

Achievements

1. The organization has conducted Sexual Education in 27 beneficiary schools both formally and informally through the World Starts with Me (WSWM) program that is specifically tailored for Comprehensive Sexual Education.
2. The organization made a partnership to set up an Event that created awareness of GBV according to the Kenyan Policy of Adolescent Sexual and reproductive Health Reaching over 2000 adolescents.
3. We set up a research in 17 of our beneficiary on RTI and UTI which affects the Sexual Organs of the Adolescent this has provided a more effective reason for us to advocate for proper hygiene both in school and home
4. We have seen close to 500 people receive HTC services in the two annual Soccer events that are majorly set for HIV & AIDS awareness and HTC services.
5. We have been able to conduct HIV & AIDS talk in 42 of our beneficiary schools distributed across the 5 sub-counties of Machakos County and Makueni County.
6. As at last year, we did conduct HIV & AIDS awareness talks in community forums which had general attendants of more than 300 people annually
7. Set up two annual events that have seen great turn out of youths to be sensitized on effects of Drug abuse.
8. Set up community enterprise groups to help the community be involved in income generating activities instead of Drug abuse practice
9. We have been able to establish a tippy-tap water point in Mung’ala Primary School where it’s supporting more than 600 students in embracing hygiene.
10. An enterprise group of 25 members have been effectively trained on how to harvest water and retain it from evaporation hence causing long term use.
11. 18 learning institutions have been able learn what water and sanitation entails, how to practice it and its importance for good health in the monthly school visiting programs

HIV/AIDS Awareness

Light of Hope Youth Initiative is working hand in hand with the Ministry of Health and other organizations in reducing HIV/AID’S in spreading as well as providing right and appropriate information about HIV AIDS.

Area focus;

1. Education on HIV&AIDS prevention.
2. HIV Testing and Counseling.
3. Provision of HIV & AIDS Education.
4. Research Updates on HIV & AIDS in the Country and focus area.

Objectives

1. Create the awareness of HIV & AIDS prevention on toward reducing infection rates.
2. Provide frequent platform for the community to know and monitor their HIV & AIDS status.
3. Provide knowledge on HIV & AIDS to equip the community with effective knowledge whether Infected or not.

Solutions

1. Conducting HIV & AIDS education talks in school as part of our Health Education Program in Schools.
2. Setting Up events that will mobilize the community toward receiving information and getting a platform to know their HIV status.
3.  Conducting community forums to educate and provide the awareness of HIV & AIDS.

Drug & Substance Abuse

DRUG; is a chemical substance, which interacts with a living organism thereby bringing changes in the way the organism functions.

SUBSTANCE; Anything that brings about psychological or psychological changes in the body and is chemically produced. It could be illicit or licit.

DRUG ABUSE; The habit of using a drug for no apparent medical reasons on a regular basis.

The intention of drug abuse is to change ones mood, perception or behavior.

Area focus;

1. Education and awareness on the Harm of Drug abuse.
2. Research on Drug and substance abuse in working area.

Objectives

• Empower young people and youths to engage and participate in forums, seminars and workshops which aim to eradicate drug abuse.
• Sensitize, mentor, educate young people in Primary, Secondary Schools and colleges on dangers of drug abuse.
• Promote campaigns and adverts on effects of drug abuse in schools, colleges and within the communities.
• Create platforms to mobilize young people and community to participate in competitive sports and talent nurturing in order to inform, sensitize and educate dangers of drug abuse use.

Solutions

1. Providing talks on Drug and substance abuse in learning institution as part of the talks on Health Package.
2. Partnering with the community for effective measures of ending Drug abuse in the community.
3. Informing the community on working opportunities to cub idleness which is one of the factors leading to drug abuse more so among the Youth.
4. Setting up soccer tournament events to mobilize young people toward sensitizing on the harms of drug abuse.

Water & Hygiene

Light of hope youth initiative believes water is the way out to break the cycle of poverty and to achieve global equality, to make a bright future possible for all. We here to break down the barriers between people and access safe water and sanitation. Water is a fundamental human need, yet 660 million people worldwide lack safe water while 2.4 million people worldwide lack access to proper toilets. It takes everyday hours to find and collect water; we believe access to water and toilets is effective in empowering better life that we can all share worldwide.

Hygiene – The practice of keeping one-self and the surrounding environment clean.

Sanitation – The science of prevention and reducing diseases through various strategies such as awareness creation, good housing and providing good environment in which to live measure to break the cycle of disease.

Area of focus;

1. Proper and safe water for school children.
2. Proper hygiene in between activities in school.

Objectives

1. Ensure proper use of water as a factor of embracing Hygiene.
2. Educate the community in water harvesting methods that are favorable with the working area.
3. Research on ways to improve Water and sanitation in our working area.

Solutions

1. Partnering with organizations with projects and programs focusing on Improving Water and sanitation.
2. Setting up Tippy-Tap water points in beneficiary schools next to latrines, kitchens and playing field as a measure to ensure and promote Hygiene.
3. Meeting the community more so community enterprise groups and use resources to educate on effective water harvesting and retention e.g. through our Staff member from Japan.
4. Providing talks on the need to embracing Water and Sanitation in schools as part of our Health program package for schools.

Sexual Reproductive Health

Sexual and reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system. It implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life, the capability to reproduce, and the freedom to decide if, when, and how often to do so.

Objectives

1. To enhance and advocate for the quality of health in school communities by creating a healthy and child friendly environment for teaching and learning.
2. Reduce early and unintended Pregnancies in the working area.
3. Contribute to increased access to age appropriate CSE information on toward achieving the sustainable development goal 3 (Ensuring Healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).
4. Reduce Sexual and Gender-Based Violence incidences amongst adolescents in our Working areas.

Focus areas

1. Sexual abuse and Violence.
2. Sexual Reproductive Health Right.
3. Early Pregnancy and abortion.
4. Sexual Education and awareness.
5. Advocating about matters concerning sexual and reproductive health.

Projects

1. Workshops/ seminars and events 
2. School health talks in schools about reproductive health issues
3. Advocacy-through Community Action Days 
4. Public campaigns 
5. Inua kaka initiative
6. Elimisha dada- educating a girl child