KENYA

Kenya hosts a large asylum-seeking and refugee population, due largely to the country’s location in a conflict-prone area with neighboring countries like Somalia and South Sudan experiencing ongoing civil wars and conflict that have caused internal and external displacement of large segments of their population. The majority of refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya originate from Somalia (85%) and South Sudan (22%). Refugees in Kenya primarily reside in the Dadaab refugee complex and the Kakuma Refugee Camp.

Our Health and Hygiene program in Kenya has been run within Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Refugee camp, in collaboration with IsraAID and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Our Health and Hygiene work in Kenya is focused on ensuring safe and consistent access to menstrual hygiene solutions, in order to ensure women and girls experiencing displacement can fully participate in education and livelihood opportunities and community life. Following on IsraAID's initial menstrual hygiene pilot, The Unmentionables stepped in to lead the menstrual hygiene management efforts through a collaborative partnership between NRC, IsraAID, and The Unmentionables.

Utilizing the community feedback previously collected from the initial pilot project, we prioritized the distribution and community sensitization of reusable menstrual hygiene kits. These kits include 10 products, made from the offcuts from mass textile companies, and will cover a woman or girl's menstruation needs for up to three to five years, allowing them the opportunity to access consistent education and participate in family and community life.

Alongside our Health and Hygiene program in Kakuma and Kalobeyei camps, education is a primary focus for The Unmentionables. With our partners at IsraAID and the Norwegian Refugee Council, we have led the effort in both camps to provide education regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene management to forcibly displaced women and girls. Within this existing model, Community Educators teach the basics of female reproductive physiology and the menstrual cycle alongside sensitization of women and girls (and some men and boys!) to The Unmentionables' reusable sanitary product kits, called Dignity Kits.

Our Livelihood programs in Kenya are undertaken in collaboration with the community of displaced people living in Kakuma Refugee Camp, as they contribute to the delivery of our Menstrual Hygiene Management program within the camp environment. The men and women are required to complete a three hour training prior to serving with The Unmentionables and its partners in order to become Community Focal Points and Hygiene Promoters for our menstrual health education and distribution activities. They then work in pairs to deliver comprehensive education and sensitization sessions on menstruation and menstrual hygiene, including reusable menstrual hygiene products.

Understanding the experiences of the people we serve across communities allows us to better meet their needs and understand how we can serve them best. Through our work in Kenya, we are prioritizing understanding the cultural norms of the community and their experiences with sexual and gender based violence through focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews.

Partners: Norwegian Refugee Council, IsraAID