MTG’s “Building Relationships to Develop Gender Equal Societies (BRiDGES)” project final evaluation conducted in 2021 showed a great reduction in the number of girls dropping out of school as a result of early pregnancies.
The survey findings revealed that only 2% of girls in school dropped out due to early pregnancies compared to the 80% noted in the baseline survey conducted in 2016. This is after MTG made interventions and successfully provided direct support to girls through paying of school fees to reduce the risks of dropping out and to promote retention, transition and completion. Secondly, MTG sensitized communities about the return to school policy and built the capacity of the community to provide safe spaces for girls, especially parents, fathers, men and boys.
The survey findings further revealed that girls were better exposed to reproductive health information and are engaging less in high-risk sexual behavior compared to when the project began. Consequently, the findings concluded that girls were most aware of the right to decide if and when to have sexual relationships and with whom, the right to decide if, when and who to marry and the right to decide if, when and under what circumstances they want to have children.
MTG also increased the financial independence among young women who are now engaging in some incoming generating activities such as electronics businesses and car repair businesses where they earn up to Kshs.500 - 1000 weekly. Additionally, the young women have managed to form savings groups where they attend meetings and contribute an average of Ksh 3,757 monthly including supporting fellow members tostart theur own micro enterprises by providingcaital in form of loans. The young women reported an average monthly turnover of Kshs. 3500 from their business.
In addition, the survey findings disclosed that the majority of the young women now feel safe in their community. This is after MTG engaged boys and men as equal partners in reducing violence against women and girls (VAWG) through awareness creation on the negative effects of VAWG including rape, early and forced marriages, and sexual harassment.
The project, which was rolled out in the year (2016-2020) in Kilifi and Kwale counties in Kenya with the support of Comic Relief: Red Nose Day targeted 9000 direct girls’ beneficiaries and 2000 men and boys’ beneficiaries.The BRiDGES project aimed at improving girls’ access and completion of education, increasing girls’ knowledge on their Sexual and reproductive health, improving young women’s financial independence, ensuring that young women are equipped with skills to secure employment and engaging men and boys as equal partners in creating safer places in communities through the reduction of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
