
Dispatch from Kenya
Our SRHR advisors Hannah Kabelka and Marielle Le Mat are currently in Kenya, collaborating with national partners to kick off a new study. They have sent us their dispatch from Nairobi.

We are in Twanthanju, Tharaka North, where we have observed an intergenerational dialogue facilitated by the Break Free! Kenya consortium. This community in Tharaka is experiencing high rates of teenage pregnancy, early marriage, and chini ya maji (under the water) female genital mutilation/cutting, exacerbated by periods of drought and failed harvests. Amongst other activities, the consortium is implementing intergenerational dialogues – community dialogues between youth and adults (such as parents and guardians, community and religious leaders, teachers, and/or health professionals) – to break down barriers in communication and cooperation between youth and adults on selected sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) topics.
In Kenya, the Break Free! Alliance, is led by Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and jointly implemented with Plan International and Malkia Initiative, while KIT Institute has been supporting the programme as research partner within various operational studies. Together with Kenyan research partners, we are conducting a study unpacking how these intergenerational dialogues might affect communication, mutual understanding and decision-making between youth and adults, and as such, address adolescents’ and young people’s needs related to SRHR.The study will be implemented in two sites, in Tharaka-Nithi and Nairobi, exploring what factors influence the effectiveness of such intergenerational interventions in urban and rural areas, particularly focusing on unpacking how age and gender-related power relations might affect the dialogues and their outcomes.

The research team from left to right: Alice Kariiri (young researcher), Marielle Le Mat (KIT Instittue Advisor), Jared Odaro (research assistant), Nelly Muthuri (Principal Investigator), Hannah Kabelka (KIT Institute Advisor), James Gitari (research assistant), Margaret Waithiengeni (young researcher)
Youth-participatory research
Before piloting our tools, we were in Nairobi to kick off the start of the data collection phase with the team of researchers (see picture above). This workshop aimed to establish a shared sense of team collaboration and commitment to the purpose of study, detail the coordination needed to carry out the recruitment and data collection, and prepare and train skills of the team for data collection.
Building on previous experience and commitment to youth-participatory research (see, for instance, the YouthWyze study, youth-led advocay research in Ethiopia, Mali, and Mozambique, and UNESCO project on youth perspectives to sexuality education), young people are involved as co-researchers in all stages of the research, from conceptualisation and design, to data collection, analysis, and reporting. Accordingly, also in the workshop, young researchers actively participated in leading sessions (see picture below), and fine-tuning data collection tools.
“ Being a youth researcher in this study is incredibly meaningful to me. It allows me to actively engage with my peers and contribute to important conversations that often go unaddressed. It empowers me to voice the concerns and insights of my generation, ensuring that our needs and perspectives are included in the broader discourse on SRHR. Additionally, participating in research enhances my skills and confidence, enabling me to play a more active role in advocating for positive change within my community. ” ”
A list of images
Pictures: (left) Young researcher Alice facilitating a session to co-create the do’s and don’ts for navigating youth-adult power dynamics in group discussions. (right) Young researcher Margaret leading a role play to practice, test, and fine-tune the focus group discussion tool.
Relevance of this study
The findings of this study will directly inform Break Free! programme activities and contribute to building a stronger evidence base relevant for organisations working with intergenerational dialogues addressing youth SRHR needs in Kenya and beyond. As the Break Free! programme enters its final year, documenting evidence and learnings on the strategies used to building a strong civil society advocating for youth SRHR becomes increasingly critical. George Owuor, country coordinator of Break Free and representing FAWE Kenya, emphasized the importance of this study:
“ The study is important to the Break Free! Kenya Consortium as it can offer insights into synergies between young people and adults in their communities. We hope it will deliver powerful solutions to respond to community social needs as it brings together wisdom and experience of adults and innovations of young people to resolve their own challenges. It can also help us to adjust our programmes to the realities experienced in these communities. ” ”
After having piloted and observed these activities in the communities, we are even more curious what our study results will be and how these dialogues are experienced by the community.