By Lorraine Anyango.
Young people are taking a central role in the ongoing Nurturing and Care training in Kisumu County, as part of a broader effort to raise awareness about the importance of nurturing care for children. This initiative, driven by a Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) approach, strategically incorporates youth, particularly those in Generation Z, to ensure widespread dissemination of vital messages.
This inclusion aligns with the social inclusion principle, the fourth strategic choice under the Nurturing and Care SBCC strategy. This principle aims to ensure equitable access to information, services, and products through inclusion across all other strategic choices, including capacity strengthening, behavior change communication, and community mobilization. Engaging youth ensures optimal participation, targets potentially harmful social norms, and reinforces positive ones.
“The current fabric of our society indicates that something is not right,” stated Dr. Fredrick Oluoch, Director of Public Health, during the opening of the training of trainers (TOT) refresher workshop in Kisumu. He cited rising rates of social ills, including rape and suicide linked to mental health issues, emphasizing the critical need for nurturing care. “If you fail to support a child to get an education and proper nurturing care, you are indirectly supporting that child, once grown up, to be a crime perpetrator,” Mr. Oluoch warned. He lauded the multi-sectoral team’s efforts to ensure children thrive, stressing the importance of community-wide involvement.
Kisumu County is among the select counties implementing the Nurturing Care program through the creatively designed “Kuwa Kocha” (“Be a Coach”) campaign. Anchored in the National SBCC strategy, “Kuwa Kocha” aims to strengthen the knowledge and capacities of families and communities to provide optimal nurturing care for children aged zero to eight years through evidence-based interventions. Youth will play a pivotal role in this campaign.
“The vision of the Nurturing Care SBCC is to see that children not only survive, grow, and develop, but also thrive and realize their full potential,” explained Ms. Esther Kariuki of Springboard Communications. The strategic priorities within the SBCC strategy are linked to the five nurturing care components: responsive caregiving, opportunities for early learning, good health, adequate nutrition, and safety and security.
“Kuwa Kocha” utilizes a multi-media approach, including a catchy Swahili jingle, radio spots and dramas in both Swahili and Luo, social media engagement, and informative print materials. Young people have a unique opportunity to share these messages with their peers, making the project transgenerational and ensuring that no one is left behind.
The Benefits of Youth Engagement
Engaging young people in promoting nurturing care offers Kisumu County numerous benefits including, enhanced reach as young people can effectively reach their peers through various channels, including social media, ensuring wider dissemination of information.
The young people engagement will also increase credibility as messages delivered by young people are often perceived as more credible and relatable by their peers.
Through this inclusion, Kisumu County will also enjoy sustainable impact as involving youth ensures the long-term sustainability of the nurturing care agenda, as they become advocates and champions for future generations.
The “Kuwa Kocha” campaign will bring empowerment and ownership. Youth engagement empowers young people to take ownership of their communities’ well-being and social change will be registered as young people are powerful agents of social change, capable of challenging harmful social norms and promoting positive practices.
The campaign emphasizes creating enabling conditions for optimal child development, including access to healthcare, nutrition, safe environments, and responsive caregiving. Participants in the workshop represented diverse sectors, including health, social services, education, religious organizations, and community representatives.
The “Kuwa Kocha” campaign is being implemented by Springboard Communication Consultants in six counties with UNICEF support.
