Carolyne is a member of the newly launched Obanda Cluster in Kenya. In this Q+A, she tells us more about herself, the Cluster, and what they hope to achieve.
Tell us about yourself!
I am a social worker, a mentor, a trainer and a business and social coach. I am also a Christian, and a widow with three happy boys.
Where are you from and what makes you proud to be from there?
I live in Wandanda village in the Obanda area which is located in the western part of Kenya. The people in my area like peace and love one another. They like coming to the aid of others especially in times of need. This has made me feel like I belong here even after losing my husband.
That’s wonderful to hear! And how did you get involved in the Obanda Cluster?
Robins and I live in the same area. Due to our interests in serving the community, Robins at one point shared about the Network with a women’s group that I belong to. The group embraced the idea of working together to bring change and were ready for training. Late last year, ten women went through a training session on Menstrual health and graduated. We launched the Cluster soon after.
What are the challenges facing the Cluster?
With the area’s low economic status, most Cluster and community members have turned to income generating activities such as mat making and making liquid soap in order to sustain themselves. While this is good, it is also time consuming and can hinder some Cluster planned activities.
What has the Cluster achieved so far?
Since we launched, we have managed to do mentorship sessions in five primary schools around. We talk about adolescence and adulthood, menstrual hygiene and creating awareness on STIs and HIV/AIDS. After a number of sessions, the children have opened up to us and are comfortable sharing their lives with us. They also understand the importance of good decision making.
What do you hope to see happen in the future?
I would like us to allocate resources towards building the capacity of the mentors, and plan for other activities like monitoring and encouraging women's groups on their income-generating activities, and household training sessions focusing on parent-child communication.
Meet another Cluster member in our Goma Cluster here.