A Mother’s Walk: How Homa Bay is Rewriting the Story for Its Daughters

On a Wednesday morning at Mawego Technical Training Institute in Homa Bay County, the First Lady Rachel Ruto addressed the pressing issues faced by young girls in her community. She spoke about the dangers girls face, such as boda boda riders demanding payment for lifts, older men offering money, and familiar figures who may cross boundaries.

These dangers are all too familiar to many families in Homa Bay. To raise awareness, the First Lady hosted a mentorship event called “A Mother's Conversation: Keeping the Dreams Alive,” which brought together local leaders, government officials, and the public. The event began with the revelation that 23.2 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 in Homa Bay have already experienced pregnancy, a rate higher than the national average of 14.8 percent.

The county also grapples with a 16.2 percent adult HIV prevalence, leading to 2,695 new infections in 2022 alone, and 313 new cases among adolescents aged 10 to 19. Homa Bay also faces significant challenges with gender-based violence, with 54 percent of women aged 15 to 49 reporting physical violence since the age of 15, and 23 percent experiencing sexual violence.

The First Lady emphasized that these issues are interconnected, driven by poverty, limited family support, and silence. The First Lady's campaign to end the "Triple Threat" of HIV, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence aims to achieve this goal by 2027. Within six months, over 220 health facilities in Homa Bay and four other counties have joined the campaign, and more than 200 healthcare providers have been trained to provide adolescent-friendly services.

The First Lady urged young people to stay in school, protect their dreams, and seek support from trusted adults when needed. She stressed that real protection comes from people who notice, listen, and act. The campaign also focuses on structural solutions, such as the Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Programme, the Presidential Secondary School Bursary Programme, and the Adolescent Cash Plus Programme.

These initiatives aim to keep vulnerable children in school, provide them with life skills, health, and psychosocial support. The event concluded with young people signing pledge cards, receiving books and dignity kits, and being recognized as mentors to their peers. The First Lady emphasized that the goal is not to talk at Homa Bay's children but to walk with them until they achieve their full potential.