Responsible, Engaged and Loving (REAL) Parents Project in North Kaputiei, Kajiado County, Kenya

a) Project Objectives:

1. To empower parents to be engaged, loving while bringing up their children.
2. To increase access to quality SRHR services and information through men-led community referral healthcare pathways.
3. To promote the development of new areas of policy advocacy to meet the SRHR needs in Kajiado County. b) Target Beneficiaries Primary Target: Parents with children under 9 years (were empowered with parenting skills) Secondary Target: Children and young adolescents (were beneficiaries of life skills from the parents and received services from the network of Health Facilities that had been identified for this purpose and the service providers oriented on the same). c) Geographic Scope: North Kaputiei Ward in Kajiado County, Kenya d) Outcomes i) The Parents were equipped with parenting skills especially on how to communicate on what is considered to be a taboo. This included and not limited to sexuality, menstruation, pregnancy among others. ii) There was transformation of the socio-cultural norms and negative masculinity which was evidenced by the participation of male parents engaging themselves in the lives of the girls which is considered a taboo in the Maasai community that is dominant in the geographic region. It was amazing to see men buying and carrying sanitary towels for their girls something they could not dare do before. iii) Cultural and Religious leaders took lead in the advocacy for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the community by mobilizing the community against harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation which is commonly practiced in the county. They continue to use the public meetings and church pulpits to pass messages including age-appropriate sexuality education. iv) The trained parents supported their children to access health services including SRHR without being judgmental. e) Lessons learned i) Communities can take charge of their social development needs and create community-led solutions that are sustainable beyond the project period. It also proves that our community model is scalable.
   ii) The REAL Parents Project being a homegrown model is scalable and replicable in other Counties and Countries. iii) It is important to invest in the community while implementing project interventions. The trained PEFs and community leaders remain a community resource that will champion ASRHR beyond the project period. The Handbook will remain as a resource material for years to come.