Project seeks to digitally document and share stories of human rights violations meted against children between the ages of ten and fifteen in two counties in Kenya by harnessing their creative abilities and enabling them to tell stories through song, cartoon, illustrations, poems, and drawings. Outcome to be shared through a facebook page, a blog, twitter account and websites of our networks. The project will uncover the unstated human rights violations meted against children. Focus of the project is child battering, sexual exploitation, dating, parenting, alcohol abuse and life expectations
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Kajiado County – Kenya
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
No. of participants- 400
No of Primary schools -6
No of religious units- 4
No of child based clubs 3
Digital story telling is an effective way of giving children a voice. We have chosen to work with them because they are treated as passive recipients of information and of the entire socialization process and not as dynamic participants whose fears, convictions and understanding society has to respect. Politicians have exploited them, burdened by traditions, sex predators have preyed on them, peers and parents abuse them, family chores are rampant, yet their voices are muted. A study shows that 89% of children between that ages of 10 and 15 have facebook or twitter accounts yet only 2% of programs seek to harness this power. A government policy of compulsory computer literacy is a plus
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
1. Kenya National union of teachers – Musembi Katuku
2. Maendeleo ya Wanawake- Rukia Subow
3. Return to Manhood program- Patty Liston
4. it’s Time Campaign (Founder). Beatrice Achulu
5. Child Aid Organization Kenya- Tom Omwenga
6. Widowhood Foundation.
7. Kenyatta University– Prof Philemona Mwaura
Our strategic Competence
The Coexist Initiative is a member of over fifteen local, national, regional and global networks. We are imbued with functioning managerial, financial and logistical structures. And posses vast Experience, expertise and capacity to achieve targets. We are blessed with a blend of multi-talented, highly trained, fully engaged, resourceful and energetic personnel who additionally have the ability to mobilize and empower diverse target groups
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
Content to be generated to include songs, cartoons, illustrations, poems, and drawings. My vision for the project is to unveil the baggage that is associated with being a child in Kenya. They are politically marginalized, socially isolated, economically disfranchised and culturally incarcerated. The project is to initiate interactive activities among the children principally on matters relating to the thematic focus.
Summary
• To cause an awakening to the plight of children
• To enable the target groups to expose their knowledge, fears and convictions about the identified thematic areas.
• To establish and strengthen a network of children constantly exchanging information on the thematic areas
• To let the voices of children with disabilities and those marginalized to be heard
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
This are our per-existing networks and synergies
Kenya National union of teachers – Musembi Katuku
2. Maendeleo ya Wanawake- Rukia Subow
3. Return to Manhood program- Patty Liston
4. it’s Time Campaign (Founder). Beatrice Achulu
5. Child Aid Organization Kenya- Tom Omwenga
6. Widowhood Foundation.
7. Kenyatta University– Prof Philemona Mwaura
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
Four hundred boys and girls will be reached by the project
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
Our choice to use digital story telling is influenced by the fact that the art of storytelling is part and parcel of the African way of life that helps people to make sense of themselves, their cultures and societies, in loaded and important ways. It’s a practice that gives a voice to individuals and groups who have been subjugated by issues. Experts say stories help people leave rich legacies of expression for future generations. In our view, storytelling helps us salvage our sequence of events from corporate and commercial interests.
Digital stories are inherently easy to replicate and share. Digital stories are not constrained to text, but can make use of imagery, audio, video, and social affordances available in the medium. Digital storytelling can foster innovation and creativity
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
We are signatories to the rights of the child protocol and we always undertake to protect to safeguard children. Additionally, given the sensitive nature of some of the digital stories, most of the work will be undertaken away from the glare of the public. Each participant will be recorded individually and consent will be sort accordingly
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
Our Expertise/ Skills
Research
Our thematic interventions are guided by research, training, synergy development, advocacy, tools development and extensive grassroots engagement
Innovation
We employ innovative, tested and integrated approaches that are simple, home-grown, participatory, and ones that reinforce existing work.
Community appraisals
As part of the norm, the Coexist Initiative carries out elaborate participatory assessments on attitudes and perceptions
•Community outreach and awareness-raising
To develop a common set of IEC materials including digital stories, fact-sheets, fliers, handbills and posters
•Media and community based information channels:
Media professionals and communicators play a pivotal role in helping societies advance the rights of the vulnarable
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
Work around child rights promotion Kenya is curtailed by the children's alienation from the process. Efforts to foster engage them and give them a voice could result in enormous resistance and even victimization.
In numerous faiths, certain man-made practices performed in the name of religion malign accepted norms of children's human rights. The customary practices and some aspects of traditions are often the cause of violence against children.
How we mitigate:
• Instill risk management in the implementation of the program
• Use consultative and participatory processes to build consensus and buy‐in.
• Build partnerships beyond the program structures.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
The Coexist will establish a robust and rigorous MR&E plan for the speak out project to clearly demonstrate results and project impact and to contribute to broader exposition of human rights violations within the key regions. The M&E plan is integrated into the overall project design to enable iterative and responsive project implementation, coordination with stakeholders and effective payment by results.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
The project is to take six months
Month One – Project launch in Key sites and a one day conference for participants
Month two- Community activities ( focus group discussion and a soccer tournament), commencement of digital story collection
Month three– Continuation of digital story collection
Month Four– Editing and processing the entries
Month five— Uploading the entries of social media platforms
Month six—Monitoring and reporting
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Budget
Mobilization and communication– $500
Transport costs– $400
Equipment and venue hire– $600
Allowances and stipends– $700
Administrative support –$ 130
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
Provision of technical support regarding final entries to be uploaded
Sharing the product to other social sites and platforms
Helping establish networks and synergies with like minded organizations and individuals
Formulation of a long-term partnership
Contact name
Wanjala Wafula
Organization
The Coexist Initiative
1 comment
Thanks for this information.
As indicated in my earlier inquiry, I come from a region that is underdeveloped and citizens rarely participate in national issues. They are socio-economically marginalized; no internet access and other relevant infrastructure to promote human dignity. Recently, my former elementary school has hit headlines in Kenya both in TV and print media as the school recorded the highest number of girl child sexual abuse and early pregnancies that led to school dropouts.
At individual level, I have mobilized schools head teachers to conduct peer educators training in regard to reproductive health for a few select pupil leaders who will cascade it to the rest of peers in their schools. I am also setting up satellite internet connectivity at the community resource centre which I have set up, as currently am using modems that are often unreliable.
If I can benefit from your micro Grant , it will boost the internet services at the centre, add more desk top computers for more youth n women to rise their unheard voices through online platforms e.g. Facebook and YouTube.
I look forward to partnering with you for a positive change in our society.
Thanks.