Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) has stepped up its campaign against gender-based violence (GBV) as the world marks 16 Days of Activism against the vice.
The organization has organized GBV sensitization and awareness activities in 10 counties across Kenya including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Machakos, Kilifi, Homa Bay, Vihiga, Kakamega, Siaya, and Nakuru.
The campaign kicked off in Nairobi on Monday, November 25 where SHOFCO led over 20 organisations in Kibera Sub-County and held graduation for 160 children who successfully completed Rights of Children (ROC) training program.
“At SHOFCO, we believe every child deserves the chance to thrive. We’re dedicated to creating safe spaces where children can learn, play, and grow.
“By listening to their voices, we fulfill their right to self-expression, gain insight into their vision for a better world, and make their priorities part of our actions today,” Angela Ng’etich, Project Director at SHOFCO, said during the graduation.
The ROC program empowers young children with important life skills including understanding children’s rights and responsibilities, recognizing and preventing sexual abuse, building habits of personal hygiene, effective self-defense strategies, fostering respect for their bodies and boundaries, the dangers of drug abuse, and resisting peer pressure.
Angela said the organization is seeking to reach 500,000 girls in informal settlements across Kenya in the next five years.
“We all need to contribute to a world where all women and girls are free from all forms of gender-based violence and have equal opportunities to thrive and attain their fullest potential.
“Our integrated approach to programming will ensure over 500,000 girls in informal settlement across 15 counties experience enhanced safety, access quality education, have stronger decision making power and greater dignity,” she stated.
According to a United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) study, a staggering 736 million women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lifetime.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS, 2022) data shows about 34 per cent of women have experienced physical violence since age 15 and 13 per cent of women have experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives.
“SHOFCO Gender and Inclusion program promotes community actions by sensitizing women and girls on importance of reporting abusers.
“Through a network of gender champions, SHOFCO conducts outreach activities in 10 counties with local leadership to sign the pledges against GBV, challenging cultural practices that perpetuate gender inequalities,” SHOFCO Gender and Inclusion Director, Caroline Sakwa said.
She added: “365 days a year of efforts towards GBV prevention activities to shift norms, secure accountability, transform power structures that oppress women and girls.”
This year alone, SHOFCO has supported 15,162 GBV survivors with legal aid, psychosocial counselling, medical treatment, and referral for further specialized support.
SHOFCO also operates two safe houses and works with county governments to strengthen existing safehouses for sustainable support to survivors.
The organization also reached 6469 children with life skills to strengthen awareness of their rights and GBV to build their self-efficacy.
“We have a real-time data collection and analysis system that monitors GBV cases, allowing for evidence-based decision-making and interventions.
“The system has accelerated our work, making it easy to reach survivors and take necessary actions against perpetrators,” Sakwa stated.
SHOFCO has also strengthened coordination establishing a multi-sectoral coordination mechanism involving Directorate of Children Services, county gender focal persons in all sub-counties in 10 counties across Kenya, legal services, and community prevention mechanisms.
The organization will expand its services to addi tional five counties in 2025 namely Migori, Bungoma, Kwale, Trans Nzoia, and Meru. This will bring the total number of counties to 15 where SHOFCO will seek to reach 25000 girls with essential services by the end of the year.
SHOFCO Founder and CEO Dr. Kennedy Odede, who experienced first-hand human rights abuses against children while growing up in Kibera, called for on-ground approach to address GBV cases.
“SHOFCO has had many years of strategic collaboration with local communities and leaders to break the silence on gender-based violence. Let’s unite in speaking up for a safer environment for all women and girls,” Dr. Odede said.
SHOFCO has been actively implementing its GBV program in seven counties in 2024 and is scaling up to 15 counties in 2025.
The organization plans to construct five safe houses in five counties and strengthen 48 existing safe houses across the 15 counties as it aims to reach 75,000 children with life skills and over 30,000 women and girls with GBV support services by 2025.
