dr judith mathews and maurine murenga, kenyatta university

Presented at African Regional Conference on Universities-Communities Partnerships

Dakar, 26 March 2011

Maurine Murenga, Director of “Lean on Me”, Nairobi Kenya&

Judith R. Mathews, Fulbright Scholar at Kenyatta UniversityUniversity of Nebraska Medical Center

jrmathew@unmc.edu

Teaching Adolescent Girls to be Change Agents:

A Global Program

OVERVIEW1. OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM2. SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS PROJECTS3. CURRENT PROJECTS4. BARRIERS

Community-Based Participatory Research

(CBPR)=community-university partnership to

facilitate community change

UNIVERSITY ROLE:Structure & methodologyCOMMUNITY ROLE:Id community concernsDevelop & implement changeEvaluate & plan for sustainability

g-IMPACT (Global IMPACT for Girls)

Collaboration Between:“Girls Incorporated”

&University of Nebraska Medical

Center /Munroe Meyer Institute

Omaha, Nebraska U.S.A.

“Girls Incorporated at Omaha”

Community-based Organization for inner city girls

Serves approximately 500 low-income girls ages 5-18

Motto: “Inspiring all girls to be strong,

smart, and bold”

“Girls Incorporated at Omaha”

Services: After-school program Homework help Skill training Leadership training

gAWAKE(Girls Awake Kenya)

Collaboration Between:“Lean on Me”

&Kenyatta University

Nairobi, Kenya

“Lean on Me”

Community-Based Organization serving adolescent girls living with or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, TB, and/or gender violence

Serves approximately 120 girls, ages 12-25

“Lean on Me”

Mission: “To provide comprehensive care

and support to young women and girls living with HIV and made vulnerable to HIV to enable them live more wholesome lives.”

“Lean on Me”

Services: HIV Prevention HIV Treatment Support Programs HIV Care & Support Program Advocacy

COMMUNICATION BETWEENg-IMPACT

&gAWAKE

via a specially designed workstation on

The Community Tool Box

ROLES

UNIVERSITIES:Develop curriculum & manualAssist in measurement &

implementationTrain the trainers

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS:Give feedback on curriculum & manual Recruit girlsLead girls in implementing intervention Assist in training future trainers

Program OverviewA Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) program for adolescent girls

Purpose: empower girls to become change agents in their own community

develop and implement an community-based project focusing on children’s health

The Community Tool Box

http://ctb.ku.edu/

• Format: • 12-week program consisting of 8 modules• Modules are an adaption of 16 modules from:

Modules1. Starting our Project2. Deciding Our Community Needs3. Deciding What We Want to Do4. Planning Our Project5. Evaluating Our Project6. Doing Our Project7. Making Sure Our Project

Continues8. Celebrating Our Successes

1. Starting Our Projecta. Understand the Root Cause:

“Why did Sonni die?”

Circles of

Influence

SONNI

Individual Behavior

Social, Family, Community

Living Conditions

Society

b. Learn about Activism

c. Choose an Advisory Board

2. Deciding Our Community Needs re: Children’s Health

3. Deciding What We Want to Do

a. Sort pictures by:

SafetyHealth HazardsRisky BehaviorGirls Only Issues

b. Evaluate each problem by:

Serious………………………………

Affects lots of people………………

Happens a lot………………………

Happens over a long time………..

Important to other people in our community……………....

Using these

symbols:

c. Vote on Topic

4. Planning Our Project

a. Research Topic Talk to local people Read at library or online Learn about other projects tackling

problem

b. Develop an Interventiona. Based on research, generate 2-3

intervention ideas

b. Evaluate Intervention Ideas

How important is this project?..............................

How much does it cost?...........................

Can we do this project in 8 weeks? …........................

Will our community help us?.....................

Can we do this at “Lean on Me”?............................................

How much do I like this project?.......................................

Using these

symbols:

a. Plan in advanceb. Measure target behaviorc. Measure changes in girlsd. Measure changes in community:

a. Immediateb. Long-Termc. Sustainability

5. Evaluating Our Project

a. Organize Projectb. Make an Action Planc. Delegate Responsibilityd. Actual Intervention = 8 weeks

6. Doing Our Project

a. Plan for sustainability Continuation of Project Policy Change

b. Present project to: Local people Conferences

c. Training

7. Making Sure Our Project Continues

a. Gather board, parents, girls for celebration

b. Share project with others

7. Celebrating Our Success

PREVIOUS PROJECTS1. GIRLS INC:

LEAD POISONING HEALTH AWARENESS FAIR

150 participants

Girls Inc Policy Change

Improved Knowledge

2 children identified with high lead levels

Coalitions with 2 agencies

PREVIOUS PROJECTS2. GIRLS INC:

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION “LOCK-IN”

50 participants

DVD Produced

Improved Knowledge

Coalitions with 3 agencies

CURRENT PROJECTS

1. g-IMPACT: GIRLS INC (Omaha)2. gAWAKE: “LEAN ON ME” (Nairobi)

2 manuals developed (culturally adapted)For girls For instructors

Development of a “Workstation” on the Community Tool Box

THE COMMUNITY TOOL BOXhttp://ctb.ku.edu/

SAMPLE OF WORKSTATION

CONTENT OF WORKSTATION

1. Information re: specific project2. Ability to keep and analyze data from

project3. Communication between girls at 2 sites

CURRENT PROJECTS1. g-IMPACT

Currently Working On Step # 4

CURRENT PROJECTSg-IMPACT

Topic Selected =“lack of healthy choices

being made about eating and exercise”

CURRENT PROJECTS

2. gAWAKE

a. Four women working on adapting the program

b. Five girls identifiedc. Manual revisedd. Kenyan research permit obtained

CURRENT PROJECTS

2. gAWAKE

c. CHALLENGE: UNMC Institutional Review Board is

balking due to vulnerability of girls and to international nature of project:

Identification of subjects Recruitment Informed consent Risk & minimization of risk

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

1. Address IRB challenges, possibly recruit girls less vulnerable while continuing to apply for approval for

“Lean on Me”

2. Apply for funding to expand the program in both Kenya & USA

3. Inclusion of faculty from Kenyatta University’s Department of Gender Studies

4. Future training of trainers in other parts of Kenya

SUGGESTIONS?

QUESTIONS?