How communities are transforming SRHR Uptake

Community dialogues are a core approach for YSW in creating an enabling environment for demand for and access to SRHR. These dialogues are essential because they bring together key community influencers, creating a shared space for understanding, reflection, and collective action. Through these conversations, SRHR solutions are actively championed by the very communities that shape young people’s lives.

This was evident in Nakuru, where dialogues in Mau Narok and Karate unpacked the root causes of teenage pregnancy, including parental neglect due to economic pressures, substance abuse, poverty that drives transactional choices, peer influence, and limited access to SRH information.

Within this safe space, health officials and project staff addressed myths about contraception and emphasized dual protection as an effective way to prevent teenage pregnancies.

The real transformation, however, came when participants began identifying what they could do to address the issue. Recommendations included creating safe spaces for open conversations at home, leveraging chief’s barazas for accurate SRH information, embedding positive parenting practices into daily life, introducing age-appropriate sexuality education for both parents and teachers, and integrating SRHR messages into faith-based teachings.

Ultimately, the dialogues fostered community ownership of SRHR, transforming it from a “health issue” into a shared responsibility. They build trust, align values, and ensure solutions extend beyond dialogue—rippling through homes, classrooms, and congregations.

With this awareness and collective action, young people gain what they need most: informed adults, supportive environments, and the tools to make safe, empowered SRHR choices