Green creative solutions for 2022 Wise Academy Cohort.

The 2022 Leadership  program cohort came to a wrap  after a 12-week training that aimed at impacting teenage girls of ages between 13 and 19.

The Leadership program is under one of Wise’s thematic areas; Leadership skills and development.Wise also develops and nurtures leadership skills among local women in the communities,whereby they are trained on independence on matters of finance and even taking up leadership roles in society.It also provides skills development,tools and resources needed by these women and girls for personal development and to engage in alternative  livelihoods.

The program that is under the Wise Academy, focuses on key areas that include; communication skills,self-esteem,growing up, sexual reproductive health,human rights,financial literacy,decision making,environmental literacy and civic engagement.

Teenage girls from the Dunga wetlands, who were under this program, identified a sitting space deficit challenge at the chief’s camp that is located in Nyalenda B ward in Kisumu Central sub-county,and is adjacent to Joel Omino Secondary school.The camp is an administrative office that handles and solves  various cases ranging from land disputes, gender based violence,rape and theft. The girls,armed with the relevant skills learnt from the leadership training, took up the challenge to offer a solution to this problem by constructing a Peace Bench.

The Peace Bench was an idea aimed at offering a solution to waste management and also solving the challenge of waiting space shortage that had resulted  due to frequent visits made by people to the chief’s office.

The young leaders were able to get used waste bottles collected after a clean- up exercise at River Wigwa. Wise Kenya supported the initiative by providing construction and other required materials.

The construction of the Peace Bench has received immense  positive feedback from the public with other parties making inquiries on doing similar projects in schools and other public institutions.It has also demonstrated the effectiveness of the Wise Academy leadership program, whereby the trainees can actively single out problems in their communities and provide lasting solutions.