Sote tujihushe na kazi za nyumbani’ is a 3 year project in partnership with Oxfam Kenya that seeks to promote men’s contribution to Unpaid Care and Domestic Work (UCDW) by creating awareness and sensitizing the community to see UCDW as a duty and not a responsibility and address UCDW as a hindrance to women’s political empowerment. The project targets informal settlement households as the primary audience. The secondary audience is community leaders, opinion shapers, and policymakers. The community leaders are directly involved when it comes to developmental decisions. Policymakers, on the other hand, validate and consider the various proposals brought forth by the community and in other instances, they give feedback if the proposals can or cannot be accomplished.

The Project seeks to achieve 3 outcomes:

1. Public and private sector institutions increase commitment & investment on UCDW through policy, practice and budget reforms.
2. Public opinions and narratives shift to acknowledge UCDW as an economic, development and gender equality issue
3. WROs, youth groups, carers and citizens have more individual and collective power to influence decision-making processes around UCD.

Project Impact

The We-Care project champions for responsive care work policies which translates to promoting women’s engagement, participation, and representation when it comes to social, economic and political empowerment. It also makes accessing essential services like water, health, and infrastructure easier for the community thus, reducing the hours engaged in care-work.

1. Increased investment on care responsive services through policy, practice and budget reforms-During the Public Participation on CFSP 2021, the residents highlighted several issues in regards to Road and infrastructure, Water & Drainage, Education and Health as a result of the Advocacy and Reflectionstrainings conducted for selected community leaders and opinion shapers.
2. Attitude change and Narrative shift on UCW – Twenty  (20) couple sessions were conducted in 4 sets. The sessions provided information on the increased level in acknowledging that past retrogressive beliefs on unpaid care have to overcome since, life is becoming expensive making every extra shilling count and, that children of all sex need to be nurtured to appreciate UCW from a very young age. We adopted a mixed marriage structure in our sessions.
3. Increased awareness of UCW- We have held four (4) bi-annual reflection meetings with the community and opinion shapers. Residents in Korogocho and Kawangware have embraced UCW and the men have also been empowered to know that it is a duty and not a responsibility.
4. Partnerships – we have worked with Crown Trust as a way of influencing decision-making processes around UCDW. CT deals with matters on maternal health care around Nairobi County.

‘I can witness, there is an improvement in Korogocho. Couples sessions have created awareness on the importance of men assisting their wives in household work”

SENIOR CHIEF KOROGOCHO-MR NAHASHON OPIYO

#inuamamazetu Campaign

Youth Alive! Kenya in partnership with Oxfam Kenya, Badili Africa, Wangu Kanja Foundation and Siasa Place launched a petition calling for more resource allocation to public health institutions at both national and county levels. The campaign sought to advocate for facilitation of access to necessary training, personnel, and equipment to attend to underage pregnancies, and pregnancies that occur from defilement.

Please find the petition here