Akili Dada Leadership Academy
April 6, 2016
Valvisions Foundation sponsored the Kenya girls to attend the Akili Dada Leadership Academy on April 18th- 22nd. Below, please find some of the highlights of our experience:
SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
The girls were informed about the different changes their bodies will undergo as they process from puberty to adulthood. The three stages of adolescence are 1) early adolescence which takes place from 11-14 years, 2) middle adolescence during the years of 15-17, and 3) late adolescence which occurs between 18-21 years of age. The female body experiences growth changes in areas like breast development, change in shape and height, growth of pubic hair and body hair, and the onset of menstruation.
The girls were also taught the need to engage in healthy relationships with others. Healthy relationships contribute to overall well-being while an unhealthy relationship generates the exact opposite. A true friend or partner knows your weaknesses, but shows you your strength; feels your fears but fortifies your faith. Sees your anxieties, but frees your spirit. Recognizes your disability, but emphasizes your possibilities.
On the area of sexually transmitted infections, the focus was on the types of sexually transmitted infections which can be transmitted: like Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital PHV infection, and HIV/Aids.
SEXUAL GENDER BASED VIOLENCE (SGBV)
The girls were taught definitions of violence against women, as illustrated, below:
Domestic Violence – the abuse of power perpetrated mainly (but not only) by men against women in a relationship or after separation.
Gender based violence (GBV) – Violence against women and girls including physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse. 1 in 3 women will experience gander-based violence in her lifetime. The trends in Sexual Gender Based Violence in Kenya are manifested through sexual, physical and psychological abuse. The main perpetrators of physical violence among married women are current or former husbands/ partners, mothers/ step-mothers. The main perpetrators of physical violence among unmarried women are teachers, mothers/ step-mothers, fathers/step-fathers.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a form of sexual violence perpetuated on the girl- child and on women in general. According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey Report (KDHS) there has been a gradual decline in these numbers in recent years. The communities that are notorious for this kind of violence against women are the Somalis at 98%, the Kisii at 96%, and the Masai at 73%.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something possessed deep inside- a vision, a dream. Cognizance and an innate return to these desires cumulate into belief. Once belief becomes a deep conviction, the Universe converges and conspires to make it a possibility. (Goethe).
Mohammed Ali said it well: “Don’t wait for someone to affirm you, affirm yourself!” Goals keep us going: to have goals and to know our goals is fuel for life. To live a life of abundance and fulfillment it is crucial to rise in the morning and ‘intend’ your goal(s), and to visualize those goal(s) before lying down at night. Goals are vitally important; we need them to feel significant and excited about life, as well as a plan to guide our goals towards us. Dreams are the driving force of an fruit-bearing life.
The girls visited industries like Ocean Sole where they were surprised to see and learn that old rubber shoes and sandals can be used to create beautiful toys and decorations.
