“The views we’re collecting from members of the public will be incorporated in our plans to end the vices. We’re as well doing sensitization to enable them to report the cases,” Murithi said.
Speaking at the Shauri Yako estate in Homa Bay town on Saturday, Muriithi said they are partnering with the Homa Bay government to succeed in the exercise.
The GVRC is working closely with youths, boda boda riders and other interest groups including teachers from selected schools to draft measures for addressing the societal problem.
Muriithi said one of the strategies his team will use to address the problem is to empower stakeholders involved in the protection of vulnerable groups which includes teachers.
They are given reflector jackets with messages and toll-free numbers that members of the public can read.
Some cultural issues are said to play a big role in escalating the triple threat. Poverty also makes women and girls susceptible to different forms of violence.
GVRC is empowering health workers to strengthen linkage from the grassroots to the county level and supporting other community-led initiatives to tackle the dangers of GBV.
“Boda boda riders will evolve in the campaign by spreading messages meant to tackle the vices. We want them to be the champion in the fight against teen pregnancies and GBVs,” he added.
Homa Bay Gender Director Evelyn Ododa, her social services counterpart Lucy Odwar and Community Aids Transformation Alliance Group (Catag) Director Basra Dahir.
Other activists Leon Otieno and Caroline Ndinya also attended the meeting.
Such community dialogue meetings had been done in Ndhiwa and Suba North constituencies.
Most people in Homa Bay were concerned about the referral system.
Some participants said they do not know the channel to follow when they want to report cases.
Ododa said Homa Bay is working within the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy they launched early this year to provide interventions.
The policy outlines steps to be taken when someone has had their rights violated.
“We have a gender inclusivity policy which outlines some of the guidelines on gender that should be followed when recruiting workers. Our mentorship programmes also target school-going children,” Ododa said.
Homa Bay government has already rolled out a scholarship programme aimed at supporting vulnerable students to pursue their education.
“The programme also targets teenage mothers. We aim to take them back to school in case some have suspended their studies,” she said.
Psychologists who offer mental support to GBV survivors are stated at Homa Bay Teaching and Referral Hospital. Some of the vices are known to lead to mental torture.
“We want to improve the mental systems of everyone,” she added.
