In 2022, we supported 69 beneficiaries’ education needs through payment of school fees and career mentorship which is a long-term strategy to empower the girls to break from cycle/s of exploitation. Education has enabled the beneficiaries to enhance their effective communication, decision making, negotiation and leadership skills which are a necessity for growth and taking control of their growth, relationships, and career. In addition, 12 peer mentors were trained on peer leadership and reporting thus taking the lead in various activities such as mobilization of their peers. The mother mentors and father mentors have played the key role in reaching the beneficiaries and holding their hands through transitioning.
The post Covid 19 period came with a lot of turbulence and challenges and the Ukraine-Russia made things worse with the rise of cost of living and little by little Mental Health broke down and needed intervention in every aspect. This year 2022, through International Women Leaders for the World (IWLW) we have been able to train 21 women on mentorship and counselling skills. These are women who are in women groups settings and are able to communicate with each other and the community members where they live in. The group trained is taken very delicately because we have to consider each women setting especially on their pasts and present situations (Groups from which the 21 women were drawn are: sex workers groups, former sex workers groups, community low income earning women groups, young women groups and Life Bloom’s Peer Mentors groups). This is through evading all dynamics of education as we did not consider any education level of the women for them to be in the training. We sought for the most vocal women in the community who have the ability to be leaders in their own capacity. We trained women who could read and write English or Kiswahili and also had a category of those who could not read or write but are passionate about their community and the work they do in it. The trained community mentors have been able to reach their target and attained 77 community members counselled and 89 community members received COVID 19 with others being sensitized on COVID 19 related issues.
Through community mentors LBSI reached to 534 women, men and girls and boys on mental health.
The following are the key achievements;
- Provided education support to 69 girls and boys from underprivileged families.
- Provided counselling services to 963 individuals.
- Encouraged and had 101 people get COVID 19 vaccination.
- Distributed menstrual and hygiene packs to 400 girls and women from low earning income families.
- Rescued 30 children from compromising situations like sexual exploitation, defilement, negligence, violence etc.
- Placed 17 children in Children Charitable Institutions (Shelter) ✓ Integrated 8 children to their families.
- Helped 14 children in pursue of legal justice.
- Referred 15 children to receive medical assistance.
Follow the following link to read the full annual report: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PxDllQbjcQHpqi8K-J5c8Dtf-Ckv0wOO/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109771268628174842065&rtpof=true&sd=true
