Events
OUR PROGRAMS
The programs we run all fall under our thematic focus areas that is SRHR, GBV, Devolved Governance, and Economic Empowerment. We have implemented projects in 26 counties across the country. Projects we implement involve advocacy and the efforts we put in never really cease even after completion of the project.
Current Program
SHE RISES
We are implementing this program in Nairobi County, our target population includes deaf youth aged 18 to 35, deaf single mothers, and parents of deaf children, with support provided by the Black Feminist Fund.
Currently, Kenya faces one of the most trying times for her people. Standards of living are extremely high; most Kenyans are unable to meet basic needs. In the post-COVID era, the perception of work has shifted and many are out of work.
This project aims at supporting the social and economic empowerment of the Deaf community especially vulnerable Deaf mothers and Deaf youth. We deal with issues of difficult socio-economic environments grappling the youth while promoting healthy relationships, and health-seeking decisions and practices.
In this project, we run an income-generating activity and teach jewelry making and beadwork to single Deaf mothers with low education levels. Deaf women with limited education are often left to suffer life in poverty and oppression.
We create awareness of the Deaf community, promoting Kenyan sign language and Deaf culture using storytelling as a tool to shift the social perception of Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. This especially targets parents and caregivers of Deaf children to encourage them to strengthen the capacity of Deaf children and promote early interventions.
We organize youth engagements to engage them on the nexus of health and socio-economic status i.e. our mental health and sexual reproductive health and how it is influenced and affected by our socio-economic circumstances. While training them on skills they can use to generate income.
Current Program
I KNOW, I DECIDE
I KNOW I DECIDE targets a population consisting of deaf adolescents and young people aged 13 to 25 years in Kajiado, and Mombasa counties, with support provided by the African Women Development Fund.
Deaf Adolescents and young people often fall victim to manipulation and coercion due to lack of information. Undesirable health outcomes such as the triple threat; Early unintended pregnancies, Gender-based violence, and New HIV infections.
The project is structured to provide reliable information that focuses on clarifying and building strong values, promoting positive culture and attributes, and transforming attitudes among Deaf adolescents and young people to take up health-seeking behavioral practices in their sexual reproductive health and to promote their rights and freedoms to access information, services, and resources that they need.
CURRENT PROGRAM
COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS EDUCATION AND SERVICES FOR DEAF ADOLESCENTS
With this program, our target population includes deaf adolescents and youth aged 13 to 25 years, policymakers and implementers, and parents of deaf children, In Nyeri, Kiambu, and Nairobi counties, with support provided by Hivos.
Adolescent sexual reproductive health rights education and services for Deaf communities is close to nonexistent. The policy environment surrounding adolescent sexual reproductive health rights is marred with taboo perceptions that disempower adolescent from seeking services, information, and resources to support their sexual reproductive health.
Adolescents are engaging in risky behaviors and practices and are unable to seek support, there are very limited adolescent youth-friendly sexual reproductive health services. This is severely influenced by the support systems and stakeholders surrounding the adolescents and influencing their access. Providing reliable information and health care services goes a long way.
This project aims at empowering adolescents to engage in advocacy as well as decision-making by strengthening their capacity to recognize and articulate the challenges they experience as adolescents and contribute towards creating change.
This project provides accessible sexual education information for Deaf adolescents to make informed choices, lobbying policymakers and implementers to engage Deaf adolescents and Deaf communities to develop strategies that mitigate risks of the vulnerabilities of Deaf adolescent sexual reproductive health, promote inclusion and accessibility of sexual reproductive health care and services for Deaf girls and women using a human rights-based model and to empower parents of Deaf children to support and strengthen the capacities of their Deaf children.
Completed Program
BRIDGING THE MYSTERY GAP OF DEAF GIRLS' SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH USING A HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH.
We implemented this program in Laikipia County, Murang’a County, and Nyandarua County. We mainly targeted Deaf learners (Adolescents, aged 10 - 19), Deaf youth (20- 35), Health care practitioners, Education officers, and Law enforcement. The program was Supported By UNDP/ Amkeni Wakenya.
Access to Sexual Reproductive Health services is a basic right for all women and girls in Kenya. Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health is a concept that is often overlooked. Policies formulated to drive this agenda are barely implemented.
Through this project, we seek to promote the accessibility of sexual and reproductive health services by involving key stakeholders. We work closely with these stakeholders to ensure that interventions made speak to the needs of the Deaf community.
Raising awareness is among our key responsibilities, we meet educational officers, health care practitioners, and law enforcement officers to address the needs of Deaf girls and women in areas concerning sexual and reproductive health and also train them on best practices when handling Deaf women and girls.
Interactive discussions with Deaf learners in schools give us a platform to not only create a safe space where they can express themselves but also offer guidance and direction in matters involving sexual and reproductive health.
Completed Program
VOICE OF THE VOICELESS.
The program was implemented in Kisumu, Siaya, Bungoma, and Vihiga counties. We mainly targeted Deaf youth, women and girls, Health care providers, and Police officers; and it was supported by Mannion Daniels.
Gender-based violence is among the leading forms of human rights violation existing in the world today. At least 1 in 3 women have fallen victim to one form of abuse or the other. However, women with disabilities are 3 times more likely to face violence as compared to other women in society, and women with certain forms of disability such as the Deaf, mentally challenged and the Blind are 5 times at higher risk than the nondisabled women. Deaf women and girls being at higher risk of gendered violence have a harder time accessing justice due to linguistic and communication barriers.
This project aims to enhance access to justice and management of sexual violence against Deaf girls and women in Kenya. Creating awareness and educating the Deaf community to be able to recognize and prevent different forms of violence including intimate partner violence, how to respond in case they fall victim, and processes of access to justice. Awareness and capacity strengthening on human rights and becoming self-advocates is a priority in this project.
We target the community to raise awareness in efforts to reduce the prevalence of gendered violence against Deaf women and girls. Healthcare workers and police officers are the first respondents in cases of abuse and are crucial to the care and path to access to justice for these survivors. Sensitization and empowerment of these respondents are therefore taken with high regard.
We report and go to court in pursuit of justice for the 3 survivors of violence. Of the 3 cases, 1 accesses justice with the conviction of the perpetrator.
Completed Program
ENHANCING CIVIC PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES IN DEVOLVED GOVERNANCE IN KENYA
The program was implemented in Embu County, targeted Women with Disabilities, and supported by Uraia, Voice Kenya.
In this project, we aim to educate Persons with Disabilities on the constitution, devolved governance, and their responsibilities and roles as citizens. Through civic education using information in accessible formats, that are friendly to their needs, so that they are familiar with their rights.
We mobilize and hold trainings to empower Persons with Disabilities to cultivate a culture of social accountability and civic responsibility. The same is reflected in the way the people demand accountability from their Government. Public participation has since improved to make sure they are part of the decision-making process, and their needs are represented.
Completed Program
ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION FOR YOUNG DEAF SINGLE MOTHERS
The program was implemented in Nyeri County, mainly targeting Deaf single mothers, and Policymakers, supported by EDAN
80% of the responsibility of caring for children in a household usually falls on the mother. In cases of single parenting, all the responsibilities fall on the mother. In Kenya, 47% of women are single mothers by the age of 20, and 25% by the age of 18. Between the ages of 15 and 19, 18% are pregnant or are already mothers of their first child. 6 out of every 10 women are likely to be single mothers. With rates of single parenthood being on the rise, the economic strain on single mothers soon follows.
Deaf people generally have fewer chances of getting employment as compared to other Persons with Disability and even less when compared with the non-disabled population. Most Deaf are working in the informal sector either as casual laborers or in self-employment. The education system for tertiary learning to acquire skills for white-collar jobs is not inclusive of the Deaf population, the training offered is often in vocational schools to provide skills for manual labor. Most Deaf people are therefore living in poverty and struggling even further to get employment. Access to services also costs more for the Deaf community, as simple things like visiting a doctor or attending a meeting require the services of a paid sign language interpreter.
Deaf single mothers in Kenya are struggling. FEDWEN has taken up skills empowerment as one of our key areas to help these Deaf women earn a livelihood for themselves and their families. We coordinate and link Deaf people to services and resources that support the socioeconomic empowerment journey. We train in different skills, link entrepreneurs and Deaf business persons to organizations and institutions offering financial aid and tools of trade to grow their businesses.