NAIROBI REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2014

GIRL POWER CLUBS AFRICA

JULY REPORT FROM NAIROBI COUNTY

The 2nd term of the school calender is often the longest and the busiest with most activities. July the 3rd month of this term had 5 weeks and activities that had been included in this month have been:

1. Music festival competitions for those preceeding to higher levels. Schools that have been active in this are Olympic High School, Olympic primary and Huruma Girls whose members are currently part of the Music competition in Mombasa for a week. They left for the destination on the 9th of August and have in practice for it.

2. Footall competitions. Schools that participated in this were Nazarene Primary, St. Catherine and Olympic High school who were away for two weeks and competed in Kajiado county.

3. School trips. Most academic school trips take place in 2nd term and especially July for upper primary classes and high school. This includes student seminars such as Nairobi Day School has been involved in.

4. Preparation for exams, evening tution , Inter-school , school and MOCK exams from the 4th to the 5th week of the month with some finishing on the 1st week of August as they close.

This means that most extra-curricular activities including clubs can take place more smoothly in the first 3 weeks. Depending on the time allocated per Girl Power club each school would be expected to have 1 to 2 session per week and therefore in July we expect to record 4 sessions at most per school with those who have sessions on Saturday being much better placed to record more sessions at end of July since they would have less interferance with other weekly school programmes.

The month of July saw the return of one of our old clubs with a great bang! Karen C Secondary School now turning to an all girls boarding school has rejoined us with over 80 girls meeting for at least 3 hours every Saturday with project assistant Jayoung and have so far recorded an average of atleast 60 girls per session and have managed about 19 sessions from both Be Yourself (Module 1) and Be Healthy (Module 2) with one session on HIV/AIDS to go which will be their opener for the next term. Presently, they have no certain patron but their principal has promised to get them one. Most of their sessions are up on salesforce.

Visits to this school were done on the 10th, 12th, 19th, 26th and the 2nd of July. All Saturdays apart from the introduction day 10th July which was a Thursday. Sessions covered here included: Introduction to Girl Power, Introduction to Goal, Ice Breakers , Secret Whispers and Communication Skills- Non -Verbal Communication, Girls and boys, Gender and Work, People and Things, Leadership, Conflict Ladder, Peer Pressue, Saying No and meaning it, Whom am I what Do I want to Do, Role Models and Mentorship. In Be Healthy we had Body Image, Hygiene, Menstruation, Contraception, Bodies, Emotions and Sexuality, Whats your position and we had lots of  questions on Whom am i what do i want to do, Peer Pressure, Saying No, Mentorship, Menstruation, contraception , Relationships , Bodies , Emotions and Sexuality. A few on academic study tips. In general apart from Nazarene, Olympic Primary , Huruma Girls its the most interactive group and most interactive among the high schools.

At Olympic Primary school they recorded 5 reported sessions this term, 4 up on Salesforce. They have their meetings on Fridays from 3:30 pm. The girls meet alone whenever possible and are very impressive considering their ages. They take charge for themselves and lead their own sessions. Their club activities have been interfered with by the numerous school extra curricular activities this being the music festival term and school trips. Visits were on the 22nd, 30th and 1st August. Thier sessions included values and discipline, conflict , living with HIV and Aids, peer pressure and hygiene.

At Nazarene Primary School ,  their patron is now taking charge of their sessions following the June training on Goal that we had. They meet on Wednesdays. For July they have reported 1 meeting session so far, a day out on sports and the rest spent the rest of the weeks on end of term exams. They had a visit on the 23^rd of July by Women Win’s Yvone Henry and had a great interaction session with her sharing the things they have learnt along the way through Goal.  Visits here were done on 7th, 16th, 23rd of July with our intended visit of 1st August to see progress cancelled as inter-school exams had already began a week earlier. Mr. Charles did mention his had to repeat sessions for the sake of new girls and follow as was trained at the workshop  in June and have so far done Non- verbal communication, communication skills and will go back and forth. They promised to make this available and communicate once all major school activities are over. However they have been actieve in inter school competitions and trainings for most wednesdays when they would have been in sessions. Their presentation and interaction with Women Win's Yvonne Henry on the 23rd was the most impressive of the three schools visited by her on that day.

Huruma girls meet on Thursdays 4-5. They  mainly had discussions on rights this month, some on music festival practice , and end term exams. The girls sometimes meet alone and other times their patron comes around to help them. They have been having general recording of sessions challenge making it abit difficult to track individual session records. Their recorded sessions will be sent back to them for clarrification. One of the girl leaders responsible for sessions recording whom we contacted mentioned she will avail herself to explain the sessions once they are back from the Mombasa Music Festival competitions. The club has been having two guide books; Goal and The World Starts With Me. They have been mixing up this two which some of the sessions in The World Starts With Me will be different from Goal and in most cases might not be possible to put it on sales force. In July we made 1 visit to see the progress and collect sessions on the 31st July.

Holy Unity High School , Holy Unity Primary and St. Catherine.

The high school meet on Fridays and the primary Monday and Wednesdays. St. Catherine meet on Wednesdays. The first two have had general meeting and running of sessions challenges them having had relied on Goal Champion Caroline who is now forced to be absent attending to enforceable home accident forced to be in hospital more than a month,   despite having a few among them. St. Catherine is often also met by Caroline but their patron does take charge. Reports received from this schools in the past month apart from St. Catherine are unclear and cannot be entered on Salesforce until we have them all clarified. St. Catherine is yet to send in theirs. Visits to this schools were done on the 21st and 23rd July.

Olympic High School, Starays Secondary, The Malezis and Nairobi Day Secondary have not returned sessions for July. Olympic high school group have been away on soccer competitions for most July in Kajiado County and only returned in time for exams. Nairobi day and Starays promised to send theirs in after their exams. Visits to Olympic High were on 16th, 22nd and 30th. To Starays 7th ans 21st with intended visit on 1st August cancelled as exams were already in progress a week before and the teacher mentioned to contact us once free. Meet some of the girls responsible who mentioned they have not done much on their own apart from abit of sports. Nairobi day 7th, 21st and 1st August. Here their session was given to a student who was away on a seminar.

CHALLENGES IN JULY AND THE TERM IN GENERAL.

•       There has been a noted inconsistence in the attendance of some beneficiaries from the session returned in nairobi.

•       Irregular reports. There is a problem in the schools dealing with new participants as they are both entered into same session forms with the regulars. This causes entry and tracking problems of  beneficiaries against their session attendance which means until the report is clarified  entries cannot be made so as to avoid confusion.

•       From the above reports there is a striking difference between between schools that meet on their own days and times and those that have same days and more often than not same times for session. It means that one is going to have to lose out is they totally depend on having a project assistant in sight. There has also been the challenge of proximity between the schools for days we have more than one school within close hours and often inflexibility of some of the school programmes.

Holidays: 17 Thoughts From 17 Girls About The Holidays

#11

NAME: AMEDA MERCY AFANDI

AGE: 14

CLASS: 8

GP: What have you learnt this year?

Ameda: I have learnt to overcome any problems that come through

GP: What has your experience in Girl Power?

Ameda: I have been left alone because of being a good girl and a lot different from other girls.

GP: What would you wish to see in Girl Power?

Ameda: I would like to see many more girls change their lives.

GP: What do you plan to do this holiday?

Ameda:  I am planning to teach my fellow girls how to live in this world.

GP: What are the challenges girls face over long holidays?

Ameda: They are being disturbed by boys, and their family members who do not understand them

GP: How will you overcome that?

Ameda: By taking care of myself, behaving well everywhere, and not roaming around aimlessly.

GP: We now have a Girl Power Office in Kibera, what would you do with it?

Ameda: I would teach many girls know how to take care of themselves and how to control themselves in the streets.

#12

NAME: HELLEN ANYANGO

AGE: 14

CLASS 8

GP: What have you learnt this year?

Hellen: That it is good to take care of myself.

GP: What do you plan to do this holiday?

Hellen: Going to the village and educating the girls over there.

GP: What is the biggest challenge girls face over holidays?

Hellen: Engaging in unprotected sex misuse.

#13

NAME: ODEMBO LUCY AWINO

AGE: 14

SCHOOL: NAZARENE

CLASS: 8

GP: What have you learnt this year?

Lucy: I should have my own beliefs that will guide me.

GP: What would you wish to see in Girl Power?

Lucy:  I would like to see more teachers to guide us.

GP: What do you plan to do this holiday?

Lucy: I plan to teach more girls how they should be.

#14

NAME: DINAH

AGE: 14 YEARS

SCHOOL: NAZARENE SELF HELP SCH

CLASS: 8

GP:  What have you learnt this year?

Dinah: We should practice how to say NO or YES and we should not engage ourselves into bad company.

GP: What do you plan to do this holiday?

Dinah: To form a group of girls and teach them about life style.

#13

NAME: SHARON AKINYI

SCHOOL: NAZARENE SELF HELP

AGE: 13 YEARS

CLASS: 8

Sharon:  I will never walk with bad company

GP: What do you plan to do this holiday?

Sharon: To teach more girls about a good life style

#14

NAME: OLALA JANNESSAR AWOUR

AGE: 14 YEARS

SCHOOL: NAZARENE SELF HELP SCHOOL

Olala: I plan to help my parents and visit children's centers

GP: What are the challenges that girls face over long holiday?

Olala: Many girls get married and many of them get raped.

GP: W now have a Girl Power Office in Kibera, what will you do with it?

Olala: Visiting everyday.

#15

NAME: OHOTH DORCAS AKINYI

AGE: 14

SCHOOL: NAZARENE SELF HELP

CLASS: 8

GP: What have you learnt this year?

Dorcas: Girls should know their principles and stand strong

GP: What has been your experience?

GP:  What would you wish to see in Girl Power?

Dorcas: I would like the members of to go all over the country to teach other girls

GP: What are the challenges that girls face over long holiday?

Dorcas: Cases to do with rape and forced to early marriages.

GP: How do you overcome them?

#16

NAME: OWINI SHARON ATIENO

AGE: 15YRS

SCHOOL: NAZARENE PRIMARY SCHOOL

GP: What have you learnt this year?

Sharon: We as girls we should know the type of friends we have and be careful with what we do.

#17

NAME: EUNICE AKOTH

AGE: 14YRS

CLASS:7

My year has been good. I was enjoying it because of football. In Girl Power we have learning how girls use sports to protect themselves.

During this holiday I would like to join a Girl Power team so that i can train with them. During holidays many girls face some problem such as being raped because the way they dress is not good

If you plan to overcome dangers, you are needed to protect yourself well. You need a Safe Space.

If we had a Girl Power Office in Kibera, I would use it well. It would be my safe space.

#18

NAME: BELINDA AUMA

AGE: 13 YRS

CLASS: 6

I will like to help other girls prepare for their future, teach them how to take care of themselves and how they should be active when they have a ball.

#19

SCHOOL: ST. MICHAEL'S HOLY UNITY ACADEMY

NAME:  MY NAME IS MILLICENT ATIENO

AGE: I AM 12YRS OLD

CLASS: I AM IN CLASS 6

GP: How as your year been?

Millicent: My year has been very exciting,  I performed very well in school because I listened to Girl Power.

This holiday,  I plan to help my parents at home and after that I play football, and stay away from bad company.

#20

ST. MICHAELS'S HOLY UNITY

My name is Jemmy Musyoka. Age, I am 13 years old. I am in Class 8.

I want to be a great footballer. Girl Power taught me that I can me anything I want to be if I have discipline and I am ready to work hard.

#21

NAME: FAITH

SCHOOL: HOLY UNITY

AGE: 17 YRS

This year, I learnt to play football well. Over the holidays, I am planning to visit my sick sister in Kenyatta Hospital. I want to be a policewoman. I like them because they are always smart and strong and I admire their uniforms

#22

ST MICHAEL'S HOLY UNITY ACADEMY

NAME: CYNTHIA OMBETE

AGE: 12 YEARS

CLASS: STD 6

Cynthia: I have learnt how to play football and to be careful with boys. I hope be a Girl Power coach in the future.

#23

SCHOOL: HOLY UNITY ACADEMY

NAME: MIJORO WINNY

AGE: 14 YEARS

CLASS: STD 6

GP: If you had a Girl Power Office in Kibera, what would you use it for?

Winny: I use it for having fun with my freinds

GP: What would you like to be when you grow up?

Winny: I would like to be a psychologist

#24

ST. MICHAELS HOLY UNITY ACADEMY

My name is Brendah Awour. I am 15 years old and I am in class Eight. This has been a good year because God has guided me with His blood from January up to now. In Girl Power I have learn how you can avoid peer pressure and how you can avoid bad company.

In this holiday, we have a tournament at Maringo and I plan to go there. Sometimes, during holidays you visit your friend at their home and you can find them with bad people who are dealing with drugs and they can convince you to take some.

I plan to overcome the dangers by continuing to play football. As a candidate have worked very hard so that I can achieve my goals by passing the coming exams. I want to be a surgeon.

 #25

NAME: PHIONA AKINYI

AGE: 12

CLASS: SIX

SCHOOL: ST. MICHAELS'S HOLY UNITY

GP: If you had a Girl Power Office in Kibera, what will you use it for?

Phiona: To call some girls and give then good advice not to walk in dangerous places.

#26

NAME: ESTHER AMWAI

AGE: 15 YRS

CLASS: 8

SCHOOL: ST. MICHAEL'S HOLY UNITY

I am a candidate and plan to get a good job in my future life. I want Girl Power Office to pay for me school fees, so that I can go on to secondary school.

#26

NAME: SHARON ODERO

AGE: 15 YRS

CLASS: 8

SCHOOL: ST. MICHAELS HOLY UNITY

I plan to visit my grandmother in the country side during the holidays. That way, I will avoid the boys who like to come and abuse me so that I can join them. I plan to go very far, like to USA and many other places, so that I don’t get abused, one day.

#27

ST. MICHAELS HOLY UNITY

My name is Millicent Atieno. I am 13 years old and i am in class six.

My year was good because I was healthy and God guided me all year. I learn more about Girl Power. They taught us how to behave yourself and know how to play football.

I plan to go and enjoy this holiday with my relatives and do more about football.

There some girls are also doing dangerous things during the holidays, they go and meet with boys but this time I am going to telling them to be careful.

If we had a Girl Power Office I would us it to practice my music. I will like to be a musician because I have a talent in singing.