By Reporter
At least five Kwale youth and women-led NGOs have received funding to advocate for the rights of women and girls, peace, and security in the region.
The funds are given under the second phase of the Participatory Grants Making program (PGM).
The grants are expected to capacity building the local NGOs to enhance peace initiatives and interreligious dialogues with youth and local communities to curb the vices and improve the lives of the targeted group and that of the surrounding society.
The program is under the Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) which is implemented by the Kenya Community Support Center and funded by the Netherlands.
JISRA seeks to address harmful norms and narratives within religious communities, stimulating cooperation between religions and showing that different religious traditions can come together in a common vision for a better and fairer society.
JISRA Country Manager Zeina Hassan Mohammed said the program focuses on increasing the role of women and youth in setting the vision and solutions to advancing freedom of religion and belief (FoRB) and promoting their participation in decision-making fora.
“We believe that FoRB and interfaith dialogues are essential and integral to the realisation of peaceful and just societies and diverse religious actors including women and youth play an important role in this process as change makers and that’s why their voices must be heard,” she said.
Mohammed said the grants will assist the youth and women-led NGOs to amplify the power of voices, for Kwale grassroots youth and women through interfaith collaboration.
The JISRA officer said women play a key role when it comes to religious conversations because they are at the frontline in raising children and instilling virtues.
She said the local NGOs would be conducting interfaith dialogue sessions in maskanis and social media engagement to initiate peace and SGBVs awareness campaigns and bring together various religious, Kaya elders, security officers, youth and community leaders.
Mohammed said the project intends to bring everyone on board to help in identifying numerous challenges affecting the community and provide solutions to the problems for peaceful coexistence.
She said the PGM program will take about five months maximum, however, Jisra is a five-year project that was started in 2021 and is scheduled to end in 2025.
Mohammed said the program has proved to be successful in Tana River, Kilifi, Migori, Nairobi and other areas.
She said the program has helped change the community’s perception of women’s empowerment and promoted peace, security and cohesion across the country.
Mohammed said that there is increased religious tolerance and collaboration among stakeholders.
“There is a good relationship and partnership between security actors, community and various leaders,” she said.
The groups that have benefited from the PGM program are Green Minds, Children Empowerment and Development, Smart Move Community, Kwale Women Desk and 2KO Na Hope.
Green Minds Community Organization chairperson Caroline Katana expressed gratitude for receiving the grants.
The CBO was founded by a section of Kwale County journalists aiming at impacting society using their skills and promoting socioeconomic status and peace.
According to Katana, they will be implementing the ‘Punguza Vipanga, Jenga Amani’ project, at Waa/Ng’ombeni ward in Matuga sub-county.
She said the main objective is to promote peaceful co-existence between youth and communities as well as build resilience and spearhead development.
Katana said the program is designed to enhance behavioural change of the youth and integrate juvenile gangs in the community for peace and security.
She said Green Minds will be providing youth with a safe space to vent out their challenges and empower them to offer solutions, reform and contribute to national development.
“Youth are normally confronted by numerous hardships but there is none to lend them a listening ear and that’s where our project comes in,” she said.
Katana said with the funding, the CBO would be able to realize its goals and change the lives of the Kwale Communities.
Smart Move Community organization chair Jamal Abdallah hailed the program and said the grants will facilitate in strengthening cohesion, religious tolerance, peace and development.
Abdallah said they would be restoring broken values and instilling virtues in the community for a better society.
Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics Secretary Sheikh Amani Mwachirumu said the project will enhance religious tolerance and unity.
He said interfaith dialogues will assist clerics in preaching peace and unity in places of worship and maskanis.
