Adolescents (boys and girls) with parenting responsibilities Kenya Chapter round table meeting

23rd August in Nairobi, Kenya. (Responses from CRECHE, Child line Kenya, Woman’s Hope, CHF, Psychosocial Support

Center and Rafikistry.

Challenges/gaps Solution: What you are doing about it/ prevention/

recommendations Organization/ Individual: who is offering this solution/who can we partner with

1. Technical support in training adolescents’ life skills and lack of rescue centers for girls in crisis either as young mothers and when they find out they are pregnant).

Partnerships with likeminded organizations that have the expertise To empower parents of teenagers economically and with skills to support their children better.

PAN, Hope for teenage mothers, Young Mothers Kenya.

2. Lack of policies supporting this vulnerable group. A lot if parents are illiterate and not able to consume messages.

Information sharing, literacy opportunities for parents and involving both mothers and fathers.

Relevant government departments, PAN,

3. Friendly Health services for adolescents, access to basic hygiene needs like sanitary towels, technical support for behavior change training and life skills for better decision making

Partnerships with other organizations, lobby for affordable basic needs, family and youth friendly services

Hospitals, Government, Girl Child Network, TSC, churches and other stakeholders skilled with technical skills in life skills.

4. Stigma and discrimination, early marriages, sexual debut at a very early age.

Conducting outreach activities in program areas targeting the young girls, counseling sessions, sexual and reproductive health information to be included in school curricular

PAN secretariat for technical support, children’s department, ministry if education and TSC.

Challenges/gaps Solution: What you are doing about it/ prevention/

recommendations Organization/ Individual: who is offering this solution/who can we partner with

5. Economic empowerment for adolescents, Lack of positive role models to work with, stigma and discrimination

Strengthen access to economic support from youth fund, banks etc and make them friendly to both boys and girls. Formation of support groups to strengthen resilience enrolling girls in vocational training to earn a living for themselves and children.

Relevant Government departments, ministry of youth affairs. PAN for technical support. ,