Page 23 - Aidlink Annual Report 2020

Programme Overview – Gender Equality
16 new Schools included in the programme
in 2020 with some supports to the 17 schools reached in 2019 – a total of 33 school communities supported.
Gender Equality
In 2020, Aidlink supported 16 schools to become more child-friendly and gender- sensitive, reaching 6,807 vulnerable children and their families in Kajiado and Turkana.
Gender-sensitive and disability friendly latrines were constructed in 14 schools (6
in Turkana, 8 in Kajiado). Water tanks were installed in 7 of these schools (4 in Turkana and 3 in Kajiado). Schools that have water and sanitation facilities encourage children to attend. These basic facilities incentivise attending school, particularly for girls, as evidenced by a 78% reenrolment in January 2021 after 9 months of school closures, including 53 pregnant girls and teen mothers.
16 Rights of the Child Clubs (8 in Turkana and 8 in Kajiado) were established in 2020, with 640 children joining and receiving training on child rights, with protection
and gender equality as key components of these lessons. Having knowledge of child rights enables children to recognize harmful cultural practices, such as early marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and to be empowered to combat them.
Reports of increased GBV and a 40% increase in teenage pregnancies during the period of school closures raised concerns that these young girls would never return to school. The impact of ROC clubs was evident in January 2021 when 78% of children re-enrolled in target schools including pregnant girls and teen mothers.
A targeted care package, including childcare and supplementary food for pregnant
and young mothers, and their babies, was introduced across all 33 schools as part of the Kenya inclusive Quality Education project 2018-2020.
21 | Aidlink Annual Report 2020