April-June 2023 Newsletter
HEALTH
widows in a group discussion - preventative health training
29 widows trained in preventative health
In June, 29 widows, some of them community health workers, were trained by our partner Women in the Window International (WIW) on preventative health covering topics of: puberty, anatomy and reproductive system, nutrition, menopause, and prevention of diseases like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and HIV/AIDs.
70% of Nyanam widows report physical health problems and less than 5% have health insurance. We continue to brainstorm on ways of improving access to health care for the widows we serve and invite partners with ideas and resources to join us in improving health as a basic need for the widows
During the training, 2 Nyanam widow mentors (Betty and Tabitha) were engaged as translators (English to Luo) and 1 widow trainer successful facilitated lessons on Inductive Bible study during the 3-day training on preventative health. The training was fully led by our partner, Women In the Window International, using their curriculum on preventative health.
Nyanam widow mentor on the right providing individual counseling to a widow
78 counselling sessions conducted
Our group counselling sessions continued to apply our Voice of Change curriculum on "parenting in widowhood". Widows shared and analysed their personal stories on parenting and began to identify the impact of the society on their parenting, and variety of parenting styles and their impact on the parents and children. We conducted a total of 78 group counselling sessions to all the 29 leadership circles reaching about 500 widows every month. A total 50 widows also received individual counselling tackling issues of health in old age, alcohol abuse, children's marital problems, dealing with death and grief, land conflicts, and more.
LIVELIHOODS
18 widows trained as lead farmers
Every year, after inducting new leadership circles, we provide capacity strengthening to selected widow leaders in each group in all the different programs. This year, we successfully trained the second cohort of 18 widow lead farmers from the 9 new leadership circles in sustainable farming including ground kitchen gardening. This training was led by 4 widows lead farmers (Alice, Helida, Monica, Verine and Judith) who successfully facilitated the 3-day training on agriculture for 18 widows from the 9 new leadership circles . The trained widows have been tasked with multiplying the knowledge gained to all the 214 widows in the 9 new groups by the end of this year.
9 leadership circles visited and trained
In the three months, our Livelihoods Coordinator worked closely with 8 widow mentors and trained all the 9 new LCs on how to make different types of organic fertilizers. The widows were trained on green manure that is only made from only leafy plants nearing maturity, farmyard manure that primarily made of animal waste and compost manure that are made from all organic waste materials that are generated from within the homestead. In addition, the widow lead farmers have continued to multiply the agricultural curriculum in all the 20 leadership circles.
JUSTICE
29 widows trained on property rights
29 widows, one from each of the 20 leadership circles at Nyanam received training on property rights(Perspectives on land ,Women, widows and Land , Land laws in Kenya ,Succession with a will ,Succession without a will ,Gifts in Contemplation of death, Role of Courts and Alternative Justice Systems and Planning your property inheritance) using Nyanam curriculum. This property rights curriculum was developed by one of Nyanam staff Ochieng Clifford.
During the training, the widows shared their perspectives on land rights and equity in land ownership, what culture vs laws say about women’s land ownership, how to write a will, and navigate the legal system in Kenya when seeking land justice. They also learnt the value of mediation, embedded in Nyanam values of seeking peaceful resolution of land conflicts. These widows are tasked with multiplying the skills and knowledge gained to all the 29 leadership circles
178 widows offered legal aid services
In June, we conducted 2 legal aid clinics reaching 178 Nyanam widows. In addition to the 138 widows who received legal aid on International Widows Day, we completed another internal legal aid clinic providing services to 40 widows. During the legal aid, Nyanam widows we equipped with knowledge and awareness on their land and property rights, we mapped out case that require legal action and /or mediation and addressed some of the widows concerns on Land and property rights .
The legal aid clinics provided individualized spaces for widows to share their land issues with pro bono lawyers who provided tailored advice and practical steps the widow can take to protect her land rights. Often, the widows are not aware of their rights, a gap filled between these legal clinics and our land rights training courses. Thus, in Q2, 178 widows took part in our legal aid clinics.
The housing project launch
2 dignified houses built
At the beginning of the year, we partnered with Onsite ICF a self-sustaining social enterprise headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States with a registered office in Nairobi, Kenya with the goal of building 10 Nyanam widows' quality houses. On May 15th, in partnership with Onsite ICF, BASF and community gatekeeper, we launched the housing project and have since completed two houses for Mama Silbia and Grace in Kisumu West-Sub county.
A finished dignified house
Nyanam youth holding his two tree seedlings. Grevillea on the left and whistling pine on the right
YOUTH EDUCATION
12 youth mentorship groups visited
Our Youth Education is beginning to thrive, and we are excited to see the support for widows’ children grow. In the month of April led by the youth team, we visited 12 youth mentorship groups reaching 200 widows' children within Kisumu County with mentorship session on environmental justice education. During the youth mentorship group visited, we distributed a total of 500 trees that have since been planted by the youth in their homes.
Nyanam youth during their expo presentation
15 widows children participated in a robotics exposition
In June, we supported 15 widows' children who attended this year’s Western Region robotics exposition in HomaBay that happened on June 9th. During the exposition, the youth shared about group core-values and what makes their teamwork effective including their robotic design which was on safe energy through the use of a wind turbine.