USAID to Combat SGBV and Radicalization in Kenya

By Harrison Kivisu and Dama Mungule

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Coastal counties have been boosted to fight against sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and radicalisation through two USAID’s campaign programs.

The two programs – ‘Elevate Voice Yake’ and ‘Sauti Yako Amani Yako’ – are funded at a cost of Sh1 billion to be implemented for a period of three years.

Those programs will be implemented in partnership with the Kilifi, Kwale, and Mombasa counties’ governments, youth leaders and local nongovernmental organisations.

The USAID’s Elevate Voice Yake’s primary goal is to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) through amplifying the voices and aspirations of adolescent girls and women to enable them to exercise their right to a dignified and meaningful life. 

According to USAID mission director in Kenya and East Africa David Gosney the two projects will be implemented for a period of three years by addressing all types of gender based violence (GBV).

“The coastal counties have similarities in the types of violence they face, that’s why we found its important, because they share same cultures, same GBV dynamics among others, to focus on them,” he said.

The USAID’s Sauti Yako Amani Yako aims to strengthen local resistance to violent extremism in specific communities in Kenya by applying an inclusive and self-sustaining approach to prevent and counter violent extremism.

The program applies proven strategies to help community members resist radicalisation and 

recruitment by extremist groups operating within and without the country.

These includes training government agency personnel and community-based organisations implement the comprehensive approaches to countering violent extremism that will involve the whole government and society. 

USAID Sauti Yako, Amani Yako also works to foster cooperation between government agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs), and communities to work together in designing, carrying out, and evaluating effective interventions against violent extremism. 

This involves intentional collaboration with the Kenya School of Government’s Security Management Institute, the Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS), and the local CSOs in Garissa, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu and Mombasa counties to achieve these goals. 

“USAID has over 100 activities happening at every time, touching on different sectors every year. Every year, we program over Sh60 billion to address challenges whether it’s education, jobs creation, heath or empowerments,” he added.

Present during the launch were the deputy governors from Kilifi and Mombasa who committed to support the good work by USAID.

The coastal counties, under the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani, will be partners in the implementation of the two programs – ‘Elevate voice yake’ and ‘Sauti yako amani yako’ – launched against SGBV.

Kilifi DG Flora Chibule insisted that her county government was committed in bringing an end to poverty amongst its youth and women groups.”As county, we are committed to ensure we allocate enough resources to our youths’ courses so that they can be stable in terms of job opportunities, get incentives in our work stations and empower them from our vocational training centres.”

Her counterpart of Mombasa Francis Thoya said his county was implementing _Mombasa_ _yangu_ program to counter violent extremism and radicalism amongst its youths.

According to him the program is in its fifth phase with over 6,000 young people who are vulnerable being given Sh15,000 as monthly stipend.

Thoya, speaking on behalf of the governor Abdulswamad Nassir, said his boss’ education mentorship program has benefited over 2,000 learners in the county.

“We have witnessed a reduction of crime between 10 and 20 per cent in Kisauni and Likoni subcounties because of the two programs,” he said during the launch of the program in Mombasa on August 20, 2024.

Zamzam Mohammed, the County’s women representative, indicated her readiness to join hands and work with USAID to help the vulnerable within the community.

“I ask them to come and partner with me in my office programs so that together we can continue to take back to school all girl-children that have dropped out due to a myriad of family or societal emerging issues,” she said.