Improving girl's ability to complete secondary school through peer intervention in the Mukuru slum, Nairobi Kenya

Data from African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) shows girls living in slums rarely complete secondary education. Barriers to education are enhanced by social, cultural, and structural factors. Parents often... [ view full abstract ]

Data from African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) shows girls living in slums rarely complete secondary education. Barriers to education are enhanced by social, cultural, and structural factors. Parents often neglect girl’s education. Time outside of school may increase girl’s vulnerability to early initiation into sex, dependence in relationships with older partners, and in some instances survival sex work. Further, most girls lack the knowledge and skills which they would have gained in school, to protect themselves against sexual risks including, pregnancy, and STI.

Peers (trained as mentors) from the Mukuru slum work with girls aged 11-13. Mentors facilitate weekly group sessions in; literacy, numeracy, adolescent sexual health, and empowered decision making. Parents are also engaged to discuss the benefits of girls having education. Participants, who score > 250/500 in a post program assessment, are awarded a scholarship to secondary school.

Since 2013, 494 participants have completed the program. To-date, none of the participants have dropped out of school due to pregnancy, an improvement over the 50% dropout rate from previous years. Schools in the slum report a 10% increase in performance. 65% of participants attended all 84 sessions.
Interventions targeting girls are more effective if delivered by their peers.

Research conducted simultaneous to the program was use to inform progress and needed improvements in real time, including changes in life skills development and poverty reduction strategies. Information and services need be tailored to the needs of girls within the context of their lives in the slum. Parents must also be included in the intervention to ensure success.