On Thursday, November 2nd, 2023, a significant initiative launched in Kilifi, Kenya, named, “Building Adolescent Girls Power” (BAGP). The BAGP project is a collaborative effort of the Binti Pwani Cluster, which includes Youth Voices and Action Initiative (YVAI) and Youth for Sustainable Development (YSD). This project was made possible through support and funding from the Children’s Rights and Violence Prevention’s (CRVPF) Adolescent Girls Power Program (AGPP) grant.
The primary goal of the Building Adolescent Girls’ Power Project is to tackle critical challenges that adolescent girls in Sokoni ward, Kilifi encounter, including sexual and physical violence, unplanned pregnancies, interrupted education, and forced marriages. The project aims to build the power of adolescent girls by implementing strategies that will strengthen their power and agency, reshape societal norms, and influence policies to create safer environments for them. The Building Adolescent Girls’ Power project is set to run for one year, and its approach is inclusive, targeting girls aged 10 to 19 years old, regardless of whether they have completed school, marital status, or health status. The project takes a holistic, community-based approach by collaborating directly with various stakeholders in the community including parents, elders, essential service providers, community facilitators, and others to strengthen formal and informal community structures, to enable them to be able to prevent violence perpetrated against adolescent girls.
The official launch of the Building Adolescent Girls’ Power project took place at the Kilifi Department of Gender, Social Services, and Culture, where Ms. Agnetta Karembo, the Chief Officer of this department, commended the CRVPF and the Binti Pwani Cluster for this initiative. She stressed the importance of regular updates of the project’s progress and ongoing collaboration with Kilifi’s Department of Gender, Social Services, and Culture. Karembo further highlighted the significance of raising awareness about violence against adolescent girls in Sokoni and the importance of engaging various stakeholders to pool expertise and resources.
Globally, adolescent girls often find themselves among the most vulnerable demographics due to gender-related structural barriers and inequalities. In Sokoni and beyond, these factors make them more susceptible to various forms of violence. CRVPF tackles this issue through cluster partnerships, encouraging 2-3 community organizations, like YVAI and YSD, to work in specific geographic areas like Sokoni ward. With its partners, CRVPF implements strategies and interventions designed to build the power and agency of adolescent girls by providing them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed for sustainable and dignified lives, while reducing the likelihood of violence against them.
