By Bernard Ogoi (Program Coordinator, JHR-Kenya), Harriet Atyang (Founder, Dada Radio) and Boniface Opany (Station Manager, Radio Domus)
In Kajiado County, where opportunities can be especially limited for young mothers, a recent event brought new energy and direction to the community. What began as a simple community radio activation evolved into a space for connection, information and possibility.
Teenage pregnancy has long been an under-addressed issue in Kajiado. Many young girls are forced to leave school, with few options for continuing their education or pursuing careers. But at a recent Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) community event, organized with support from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), the conversation began to change.
A group of young mothers attended the event, some carrying their children, others with notebooks in hand. They came looking for guidance and left with a sense of direction. Among the speakers was Makena Norah, a TVET-trained technician who had succeeded in a male-dominated field.
“You don’t have to be a man to do hard work,” she said. “You just need courage — to believe in yourself, to own your story, and to lift others as you rise.”
Her story resonated.
One of the attendees, Susan Wavinya, founder of the Inspire Teenagers Foundation, also addressed the group. “TVET is not a second chance,” she said. “It’s a real choice. And we’ll walk this road together.”
Moved by the momentum in the room, local Member of County Assembly Hon. Eli Gor publicly committed to advocating for policy changes, including reforms to bursary allocations so that young mothers and girls from low-income backgrounds could access TVET training.
The event also addressed key community issues like financial literacy, climate-smart agriculture, digital literacy, entrepreneurship and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) — a concept that was new to many attendees. An experienced facilitator helped demystify the process and many left connected to institutions where they could begin the RPL certification process.
In Siaya County, similar efforts led to a new partnership between Dada Radio and the Uhonga Farmers CBO, a grassroots organization focused on agricultural information sharing. Their collaboration, supported by local administration, brought more than 200 people from eight villages to an RPL activation event — numbers that local leaders described as unprecedented.
The impact was also felt inside Dada Radio itself.
At the time, the station was struggling financially. The grant provided through the project helped replace outdated equipment and purchase essential items like microphones, computers, and furniture. Wi-Fi was installed for the first time, allowing Dada Radio to begin live-streaming and expand their reach.
The station’s team also grew from two presenters to five, plus four new trainees. The improved working conditions and equipment led to a noticeable boost in both morale and content quality.
To mark its second anniversary and give back to the community, Dada Radio organized a donation drive at a local junior school, distributing sanitary towels to over 130 girls and undergarments to more than 150 boys.
Thanks to CICan and JHR, what started as a local awareness campaign has grown into a platform for sustainable, community-driven change. Over two months, JHR’s Kenya office coordinated the initiative and provided technical support to four community radio stations — Radio Domus, Ruben FM, Pamoja FM, and Dada Radio — helping them produce educational content and host live discussions on a range of important issues.
