The 16 Days of Activism is a no Violence against Women and Children Campaign which takes place annually from 25 November (International Day of No Violence against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day).

Womankind Worldwide has been at the forefront striving to end violence against women and girls, advancing women’s economic rights, strengthening women’s participation and leadership

Polycom girls were privileged to host the Director of Policy and Communication Dinah Musindarwezo of Womankind Worldwide during the 16 days of Activism. On the second day of the Activism, Polycom girls were taken through a self defence session where they were taught how to defend themselves against perpetrators.

Young women experience sexual abuse and harassment daily, unfortunately, part of their daily routine. As a result, women are constantly on guard, fearing everything from the routine groping they suffer on public buses, to far more violent assaults like marital rape and domestic violence. This has not only eroded their self-confidence but also added to a layer of constant fear forcing them to structure their entire lives around protecting themselves and their children.”

Gender Based violence has serious, immediate and long term consequences on the sexual, physical and psychological health of survivors.As an Organization stemming the vice is our major concern especially those metted towards adolescent girls.

We appreciate the work Womankind Worldwide has enabled Polycom project achieve. We are much obliged to the Organization and their willingness to see women and girls are empowered to step up and stand up to their rights.

Womankind Worldwide has been at the forefront striving to end violence against women and girls, advancing women’s economic rights, strengthening women’s participation and leadership

Polycom girls were privileged to host the Director of Policy and Communication Dinah Musindarwezo of Womankind Worldwide during the 16 days of Activism. On the second day of the Activism, Polycom girls were taken through a self defence session where they were taught how to defend themselves against perpetrators.

Young women experience sexual abuse and harassment daily, unfortunately, part of their daily routine. As a result, women are constantly on guard, fearing everything from the routine groping they suffer on public buses, to far more violent assaults like marital rape and domestic violence. This has not only eroded their self-confidence but also added to a layer of constant fear forcing them to structure their entire lives around protecting themselves and their children.”

Gender Based violence has serious, immediate and long term consequences on the sexual, physical and psychological health of survivors.As an Organization stemming the vice is our major concern especially those metted towards adolescent girls.

We appreciate the work Womankind Worldwide has enabled Polycom project achieve. We are much obliged to the Organization and their willingness to see women and girls are empowered to step up and stand up to their rights.

Polycom Development was privileged to host one of the project donors who visited Kibera slums and to engage with the community during the pandemic. “It is always a privilege to visit my friend Jane Anyango from Kibera and to see the tremendous work she is doing for the women and adolescent girls within Kibera, Daria says”.   Together with mentors from Polycom, Daria visited four schools, within Kibera slums distributing masks as well as sanitary towels.  Furthermore, she had an educational talk with Polycom staff members on breast cancer awareness. In these, she pointed out on the need to know self- extermination to detect early signs of breast cancer. Her presentation highlighted on the need for a healthy lifestyle of exercise, proper diet and reduction of stress. Together with Polycom team Daria held a friendly match with women from Kibera, winners were given an array of tokens as an appreciation.

 We thank you Daria for promoting sports for peace within our community. You are always welcome.

In her visit, Daria visited various schools within the country promoting peace through volleyball, visited various homes giving goodies and bonding with the children. Furthermore, Daria visited clinics within the Kendu Bay area donating glucometer, facials and bandages among other items to the hospital.

Daria Mejnartowicz is the President at Salveo Medical Care Rehabilitacja Warszwa with a strong humanitarian passion. She lives in Warsaw-Poland.

Thank you, Daria we look forward to another great visit to Kenya.

In partnership with Global Call to Action, Polycom Development engaged with locals in marking the World Cerebral Palsy day.

World Cerebral Palsy Day, which occurs annually on October 6, reminds us that there over 17 million people impacted by this disorder. CP is one of the most common physical disabilities affecting the most vulnerable among us — children. Additionally, CP occurs over the span of a child’s entire lifetime with no cure. 

Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood disability, yet around the globe, there’s a broad lack of knowledge of what it is and how it’s caused, even in the medical field.

In addition, many children and adults with cerebral palsy are at increased risk of abuse and neglect, and in some parts of Kenya, murder, as communities fail to offer people with CP love and quality of life.

There are media instances whereby a mother is reported to have tied their CP child at home and gone about her business. This is inhuman, but upon further questioning, the mother said it protects her child from having injuries when she is not around. She further cited that since the child was born he was violent and she did not know how to treat him and could not understand what was wrong with him.

Through World CP Day we can build awareness of what CP is, how it’s caused and how early detection and intervention is the key to improving outcomes for people with CP.

When it comes to those living in the slums, these cases are dire as there are no affordable specialized care for CP children and as depicted earlier most medics are not trained well on handling such cases.

Stella shyly draws a map on the ground as we inquire on whether she knows about the International Day of the Girl child. She shyly tells us upon further prodding that the day focuses on the girls and anything to do with empowering the girls.

Every year on 11 October, the International Day of the Girl, UNICEF launches an annual campaign with girls to amplify their voices and stand up for their rights. This year, the theme is, “My voice, our equal future”.

In line with this year’s theme, Polycom Development organized a well-attended event that has seen the girls address issues that have affected them during the pandemic.

“The virus affected my going to school, I can’t study at home, there is also a lot of peer pressure and sometimes I feel like giving up”. Achieng lamented during the discussion.

The other adolescent girls raised issues ranging from idle time, loss of income by their parents, sex-extortion, early teen pregnancies and increased hunger due to lack of food.

Activities leading to the day

Tree planting-Polycom engaged with the community to ensure e that Kibera has a clean environment. As a build up to the main day, the girls were taken through the importance of tree planting and a safe environment for women and girls

Polycom Girls have further engaged in extensive zoom meetings with adolescent girls as they discussed ‘my voice my future’ theme. Among the issues raised was that girls voices need to be heard by policy makers, the Government and civil societies who champion for the rights of the girls. Our future as women in this country depends on how we are treated as girls.

Further to this, the Director Polycom Development engaged with Family television in discussing the voice of girls from Kibera as well as highlighting the plight of women and girls who live in Kibera.

“Don’t let People speak on your behalf, speak for yourself”. A strong statement from Chief Otwori of Sarangombe in Kibera urging the women abled differently to not submit to less treatment.

Chief Otwori and other key stakeholders honored a call by Polycom Development to hold a peoples’ assembly and discuss the effects of COVID 19 on persons abled differently.  25^th September is marked all over the world as a  “People’s Assembly” also known as Global Day of Action where women with disabilities being one of the minorities in the slum get an opportunity to share and address issues that affect them directly and indirectly especially now during this pandemic.

Some of the concerns raised by the women abled differently ranged from;

Being locked out of the food distribution exercise by the Government, most stated they did not receive anything while some cued for long ending up with one packed of maize flour.

Some experienced depression due to fear of being infected with the Virus since no social distance are kept during food distribution.

Complained of not being involved in Sub-County Government opportunities like job opportunities known as ‘KAZI MTAANI’ INNITIATIVE.

Most of them reported that they have not benefited on cash transfer even after Polycom fought for their rights. 

Most were not able to access facemask or hand sanitizers putting them at risk of contracting the virus

Sanitation in Kibera is an uphill task and access to clean toilets by those abled differently was also a great challenge.

Call to Action

Association of Persons with Disability Kenya encouraged the women to reach forth and not suffer in silence. He however noted that most Non- Governmental Organizations were crippled financially. The Local Government representative, Chief Otwori further encouraged them to voice their concerns through local run civil societies like Polycom Development Project.

“Don’t let People speak on your behalf, speak for yourself”  He urged the women.

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Peace also seen as concord, or harmony and tranquility is vital to the community and its people.  International Day of Peace is commemorated on 21^st of September each year.

This is the day which  was set a side by the UN General Assembly back in 1981 for  everyone around the world to devote for keeping peace. Polycom Development Project has been practicing peace keeping culture with women known as “Kibera Women for Peace” across five informal settlements in Nairobi through thematic  sports and songs throughout the year in public forums, during political campaigns and election period, women.

This year, the organization partnered with other CSOs in Kibera Slums to take part in joint peace Building Activities which have taken place in five days with different category of persons with the

Theme: “Shaping Peace Together”.

Objectives of Kibera Peace Forum Assembly

• To eradicate negative ethnicity and tribalistic behavior
• landlord-tenant conflict by sensitizing communities through
• Eradicating Political rivalry
• Eradicate religious conflicts
• End Crime and violence caused by youths

Polycom actively engaged the women that work with the organization in an awareness creation conversation. Some of the issues raised that enhance conflict are poor sanitation, sextortion, poor housing, unemployment, illiteracy, poverty, inadequate clean water among other factors.

All these problems contribute to the senseless killing of human beings and perpetual conflict in Kibera. The most vulnerable people who suffer the consequences are women and children especially those living with disabilities.

Injustices such as alleged forceful eviction creates internally displaced personnel.

As a way forward,  

• Organizations are encouraged to strengthen partnership towards empowerment of girls, boys and women in the community.
• To continue peace dialogue even when there is peace
• Kibera Women for Peace Organization to be active in peace building.
• Community Health Volunteers to cluster homes and visit regularly.

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Polycom Development and Umande Trust have teamed up to run a campaign on sex for water within Kibera Slums. There are rising cases of Gender Based Violence arising due to lack of the essential commodity-water.

The overall project objective is to contribute to a reduction in the water and sanitation related sexual exploitation of women and girls in informal settlements. There is need to raise awareness and increase visibility of the issue of sex for water and make it a national priority. There is also need to build capacities of communities and local authorities to address sextortion in water and sanitation points both in rural and urban areas.

In addition, the project will support water utilities to develop and implement gender responsive policies and create a safe environment for women and girls and support policing efforts in the access to water.

The project is expected to run for one year from 2020-2021

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Juliet walked into Polycom Development office feeling tired and sweating; her face blotched with the tender heat of the mid-morning sun.  She seems tired so we offer her a seat and a bottle of water to cool her down. We get down to a small interview and she narrates how when COVID 19 pandemic begun she was accosted by her motorcycle rider boyfriend on her way to buy a few items that her mother had sent her. To her dismay her boyfriend became rough and she pleaded her case with her boyfriend to let her go citing her periods.  The boyfriend grudgingly obliged but later in the month Juliet ended up having unprotected sex with her boyfriend leading to her 3 month pregnancy.

She is the office seeking advice on what next to do and how to approach her pregnancy.

The local media was bursts two months ago with headlines that were hard to believe. “close to 4000 school girls impregnated in Kenya during COVID 19 lockdown” read one headline. “Alarm as 3964 girls impregnated in Machackos County” stated another.

To address such rising cases Woman’s Hope Kenya in partnership with Polycom organized an awareness campaign activity dubbed ‘LindaBinti” loosely translated to mean, protect the girl. The campaign aims at educating the motorcycle riders, commonly referred to us boda boda riders, to end teen pregnancy.  The riders saw the harmful sense that the adolescent girls are exposed to and promised to protect the adolescent girls. Polycom Director, Jane Anyango encouraged the men to ensure that none of their peers engage in such malpractice but instead be ambassadors of change. Woman’s hope Director Consolata further reiterated that it is important that the adolescent girls within Kibera stay safe within this pandemic.

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