The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its programme dubbed Nuru ya Mtoto is engaging youths in Homa Bay to advocate against Gender-Based Violence.
The organisation seeks to create awareness among youths and the community at large on GBV and the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS infections through involvement of various stakeholders.
Speaking during a GBV education session within Homa Bay town, Nuru ya Mtoto’s programme’s Chief Officer, Jackson Thoya said the organisation aims at enhancing inclusivity in their education on GBV and HIV prevalence among the youth.
Thoya said this can only be achieved by engaging all stakeholders in the community including the security team, the transport sector, clinical officers, and the youth themselves to ensure collective responsibility.
According to Thoya, the identification of youth ambassadors from the village level among their targeted age group of 10 to 24 years will help the organisation to achieve their objective as they seek to create awareness in the community about the two challenges.
“If one youth ambassador reaches out to their vulnerable peers in the community, our target of educating a larger number of youth will be achieved,” said Thoya.
A representative of the bodaboda fraternity, Wycliffe Okeyo said their groups in the county will act as ambassadors to the Nuru ya Mtoto programme in the fight against GBV.
The role of bodaboda riders in the programme is to mobilize and act as caretakers of the young women by protecting them from heinous acts such as rape by bad elements in the society.
