1 in 4 girls and young women are reported to have been sexually abused in Kenya (the actual figure is probably much higher). This is not ok.
Our girls all come from a background of sexual abuse. This is not ok.
It is time to begin making a difference beyond The Beehive. The Beehive is like a sticking plaster on an endemic issue. It is time to address the deeper wound.
And so The Beehive has a new outreach initiative, and we are looking at ways that we can try to help prevent girls and young women from being sexually abused.
We are going into communities and having a conversation with them about sexual violence and self-worth, and we are developing different ways on how we can reach out into the community and begin these conversations.
The first initiative we are undertaking is sack gardens. We are providing selected women within the community that we go into with a sack garden. As we teach the women and their neighbours and friends about the sack gardens, we open up a conversation about sexual abuse and self worth. These gardens (literally a small vegetable garden in a sack) are a great tool to empower families and individuals as we have these serious conversations. And they also provide food, an income and a purpose to these families and individuals as well as a reminder of the important issues discussed.
A sack garden costs just £10 to produce.
If you would like to donate towards the cost of providing these please go to our Donate page, hit the Donate button and make your gift, reference #itisnotok
And it is not only women who are being impacted by #itisnotok. The men who stand on the sidelines whilst these early conversations are taking place are becoming involved. Local piki (motorbike taxi) drivers are putting our campaign stickers onto their motorbikes, and reflector jackets, and opening up conversations in their own communities. The word is spreading …..
#itisnotok