Together with girls and boys and school teachers, we have started a new project aroundg a common taboo: physicality and sexuality. The project is funded by CISU - Civil Society in Development. We have started in a selection of rural and slum schools together with our partner on the project, the small NGO Periammaand local expert The Centre for the Study of Adolescence Kenya.
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Get an insight into the start of the project with local coordinator Carsten's story.
"The air in the room is saturated and beads of sweat are visible on the faces of the various participants. Whether it's due to the 26 degrees or the topics remains to be seen. But the fact is that we have begun to discuss some of the more controversial topics in sexuality education.
It's early September and we are gathered for a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. 4 organisations from Denmark and Kenya have joined forces to raise awareness about sex and sexuality among young people in Kenya.
The aim is to give young people sufficient insight and respect for themselves, the opposite sex, and to strengthen their knowledge of their own rights over body and mind. There are many challenges - unwanted pregnancies, lack of knowledge about contraceptives, illegal abortions, female genital mutilation and the ban on homosexuality.
Our facilitator Albert maintains his gaze and once again asks the crowd how we will answer the question from the young man who wants to know if he is abnormal if he feels attracted to his best friend. The silence is almost deafening and beads of sweat glisten on several of the participants' faces. In Kenya, discussing homosexuality is controversial as it is considered illegal. This is in stark contrast to Danish values and norms, but we are not here to condemn. Together, we will help raise awareness of these controversial topics so that all the children and young people who are part of this project can feel better equipped to take care of themselves and not feel abnormal.
The task is solved together after several good and constructive conversations. It is clear to see that there is an eagerness and a great desire to learn, exchange views and become wiser. We have set the bar high, because we know that education is the long haul that can help create change. So over the next 8 months, we will train and educate teachers and students in 24 different schools located in some of the largest slums in Nairobi, and in rural Rift Valley, Kenya."
The project is funded by CISU - Civil Society in Development.
