In Lporos village of Samburu County, Kenya, where challenges are a daily reality, we meet Naserian—a determined young mother and beneficiary of PS Kenya’s Accelerate Project. Naserian’s life has been marked by immense hurdles from a young age. Born into poverty and orphaned early, she found herself shouldering responsibilities beyond her years as the eldest daughter caring for her ailing mother. Her dreams of education and a career were dashed by financial struggles, leading her down a path shared by many young girls in her community of exchanging sex for financial support from men.
At just 17, while still in Form 2, Naserian found herself pregnant, abruptly halting her secondary education. The future seemed bleak, marked by uncertainty and limited options. However, fate intervened when she learned about the Accelerate Project by PS Kenya, a project dedicated to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
“At a young age, I had to shoulder responsibilities beyond my years. Education seemed like a distant dream,” Naserian recalls. “But then I discovered PS Kenya’s Accelerate Project, and my life changed for the better.”
Joining a group of young girls under the guidance of the Accelerate team, Naserian’s life took a pivotal turn. The project offered a comprehensive suite of services aimed at empowering young women like her. “The SRHR and GBV sessions opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. I learned how to take charge of my health and make informed choices,” Naserian shares with gratitude.
Through collaboration with various stakeholders with mutual goals, the Accelerate team in Samburu County saw the need to come up with an innovation for knowledge management for young mothers to learn and ensure they are able to do something productive with their lives. The project provided economic empowerment opportunities that went beyond education. Naserian learnt soap-making and vertical bag kitchen gardening, skills that not only contributed to her financial independence but also promote nutrition and self-sustainability.
Reflecting on her journey, Naserian shared, “PS Kenya’s Accelerate Project has been a lifeline for me. It’s not just about health education; it’s about reclaiming my future.”
The impact of PS Kenya’s interventions on Naserian’s life is profound. Through the project, she regained confidence and has transitioned into a peer mentor, sharing the knowledge and empowerment she gained.
In Samburu County, teenage pregnancy is a significant issue affecting the community. According to statistics from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022, Samburu County has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the country, with approximately 50% of girls aged 15-19 having begun childbearing. Accelerate Project has been working closely with other community groups and champions including adolescents to integrate SRHR /GBV as part of the social behavior change communication sessions to reach adolescents who are mostly out of school teen mothers. So far, over 2000 young mothers have been reached by Accelerate Project and are now embracing the various family planning methods therefore spacing their children which in turn has helped better their lives.
PS Kenya continues to transform lives in Samburu County through Accelerate Project to ensure fulfilment of the ICPD25 Promises of zero unmet need for contraception, zero preventable maternal deaths and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices.
