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“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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