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Promise Hill Project Kenya held our first Teen Outreach event of 2023. It was held in Ngangu Secondary school. A total of 25 participants attended this outreach. Participants were ages 15-18 years.
Each participant received 50 meals, 84 period kits (equal to 4 cycles), and 147 pairs of panties (equal to a full week of underwear for each girl).
Most of the day’s work was done via Plenary Discussion. This made it possible to cover a lot of content faster and in a participatory manner.
Topics covered with this method include:
- Introduction: what is mental health
- Part of Self awareness
- Self-concept
- Unhealthy ways of coping with emotions/ coping mechanisms
- Effective communication
- Decision making (problem solving)
- Goal setting
Promise Hill Project’s heart is full. We are extremely grateful to our volunteer, Jacque, for her expertise in Social Work and her ongoing compassion to help the youth in Kenya. We love you, Jacque!
Promise Hill Project purchased and shipped period products and underwear to females in need at the Great Genius School and surrounding villages in Bamburi, Mombasa, Kenya.
Four boxes contained 5,234 period products and 630 pairs of underwear.
The product will travel by boat via LincTech Global Logistics over a period of 3 months. It is scheduled to arrive in Nairobi and then travel on to Mombasa with an arrival at Great Genius School at some point in June 2023.
This outreach was the sixth of the series this year and the second one for both boys and girls. It was held in Retreat School Majengo. A total of 30 participants attended this activity. The weather was perfect for the first time. The school was picked because it is central and accessible to the road (easy to find). We had a spacious room and quiet space to conduct our activity. It was a joint activity with children from different schools and towns. It was vibrant, full of laughter and eager learning.
Promise Hill Project provided lunch and fresh fruit juice (passion, avocado and mango) and bottled water. Lunch was plenty and accessible this time because were near Mtwapa. Large plates of pilau and biryani were much appreciated.
Promise Hill Project distributed period products to 15 girls and one weeks worth of underwear to 11 girls. The delight on their faces was amazing!
The introduction to mental health slightly differed and started with a translation of what mind, body, heart and soul are in Kiswahili. This was followed by attaching the functions to each including emotional/ heart, physical/body, mental/mind and spiritual /soul. Other terms that followed were:
- Self-awareness and Self-concept
- Social and social awareness
- Security and safety
This outreach was the fifth of the series this year. It was held in Matsangoni primary school on a Saturday. Promise Hill Project provided food, and a large supply of period products to each girl. The girls and 3 of their teachers were present for the discussion as required by the school. This was the third in a rural setting. The discussion began with an introduction of 15 participants who all were between the ages of 13-16years using the ball game. The activity was also the smoothest flowing so far because of more experience facilitating the handout with different groups of girls.
The event culminated in the giving of period hygiene products to 15 girls. There was an offer for the small packs and therfore we bought an extra pack therefore giving a supply of 3 cycles.The importance of period products in areas like this cannot be emphasised enough; it supports class/ school attendance during period days and inreases self esteem among girls of this age.
The introduction to mental health slightly differed and started with a translation of what mind, body, heart and soul are in Kiswahili. This was followed by attaching the functions to each including emotional/ heart, physical/body, mental/mind and spiritual /soul. Other terms that followed were:
- Self-awareness and Self-concept
- Social and social awareness
- Security and safety
The methodology this time included group discussions for the 5 functions (emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and social). The groups the presented their findings in plenary. We also practically tried breathing exercises and meditation. The session also included many ice breakers to keep the girls at attention since they have to take in a lot of information.
This outreach was the fourth of the series this year. It was held in Takaungu primary school. The girls and one of their teachers were present for the discussion, as required by the school. This was the second in a rural setting. Promise Hill Project distributed food, one weeks worth of underwear per girl and period products.
The girls were jovial and participated a lot. Most of them were from very poor homes. They didn’t have access to television or phones, therefore our lines of discussion were more towards rural setting challenges. The discussion began with an introduction of 15 participants who were between the ages of 12-15years. The activity had been planned keeping in mind the weather was rainy and cold, therefore sufficient indoor exercises had been prepared. Methodology used included plenary discussions, enacting scenarios and practical trials of skills like breathing, decision making etc.
There are always those who really enjoy the sessions and learn the most and there are those few who do not grasp the concept until towards the end of the discussion. The more rural we go, the more creative we have to be in getting the girls to talk about their emotions, which is not encouraged generally in the rural African cultures, especially towards women and girls. Mental health issues begin with opening up to self and others about ones feelings and experiences, and speaking up about fears, traumas and areas one may need help to navigate.
