Stories of Change

Safe Space program participant wearing "I am Safe Space" bracelet

Creating Space For a Better Life

Love, family and faith are three things that many people value highly. But what happens when who you love puts your relationship with your family and your faith at risk? This is a challenge for many people around the world who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. In some countries, laws prohibit homosexuality by criminalizing same-sex conduct. These laws proliferate homophobic sentiments and often leave people who identify as LGBTQ+ feeling isolated and ostracized by their communities. 

These feelings of isolation and confusion were some of the difficult feelings Sharon knew too well.  In her experience as a lesbian, Sharon struggled with rejection from both her family and her church. “I was a struggling lesbian, deeply lost between my sexuality and my Christian faith. I am a mother of two daughters, and it was hard to explain how a lesbian woman had children. As a child, I had grown up in Church and I wanted to please God, but everything else within me was saying otherwise,” Sharon shared. 

Fortunately, things took a turn for the better for Sharon in 2016 when she was connected to the CWS Safe Space Program. She wrote, “I was invited to a conference in Limuru hosted by the CWS Safe Space Program and my life changed. I got a chance to meet theologians from St. Paul’s University and other parts of the country who helped me gain many insights into issues of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. I came to understand myself more through this encounter.” 

This experience of self-understanding Sharon describes is one that we hope to achieve for other members of the LGBTQ+ community. To do this, our Safe Space Program works on building relationships with local religious leaders in the community and sparking critical conversations. These relationships and conversations are pathways to open up doors for LGBTQ+ members and allow them to live their life more fully and without fear of persecution or rejection. 

The Safe Space Program has also made its mark in the home life of many program participants. Since joining the program, Sharon’s parents, brother and sister have all attended Safe Space Program awareness sessions. These sessions educate family members of LGBTQ+ persons to destigmatize homosexuality and create a safer and more welcoming environment at home. Sharon remarked, “I am safe at home and reconciled my sexuality with my Christian faith.”

Since joining the program, Sharon has become an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and leads training sessions in the Safe Space Program. She stated, “I am a testament to this program; it has changed my life.” By planting seeds of education, understanding and acceptance, our Safe Space program is working towards a world in which all can love freely and live as their most authentic selves. 

Note: Pseudonyms were used in this story to protect the identity of the program participant.

The CWS Safe Space program works to ensure that LGBTQ+ community members are respected, valued and included. Much of this work is done by engaging with leaders from faith communities in Africa. We would also like to thank the Arcus Foundation for their support of this work. Learn more about our work in Africa here.

Stories of Change

Top: Program participant with food rations, Middle: Dried lands in Tana River County, Bottom: Women in line to receive food rations

Food Rations Provide Thousands Hunger Relief in Drought

When we consider the effects of climate change, we might imagine wildfires, hurricanes and massive droughts. What we might forget, however, is that these consequences are already a reality for thousands of people worldwide.

In Tana River County in Kenya, thousands of people have been severely affected by the droughts that have been occurring for the past two decades. “The drought in Tana River caught the attention of CWS in 2016 when a major drought occurred and we mobilized resources in response,” says Mary Obiero, CWS’ Director of Relief Development and Protection in Kenya. “Tana River is known for cyclical disasters including severe droughts, floods, tribal conflicts, and more recently locust invasions that are now more frequent due to climate change,” she explains.

The lack of rainfall has devastated the people of this region who are primarily farmers. “The drought has really affected us. Our livestock died. If someone had about 100 cows, only two are left. If they had 300 goats, only five are left,” explains Mohamed Kunyo, a CWS program participant in the county. Inter-tribal conflicts have also worsened in the area as “resources (water and pasture) shrink,” Mary explains. Along with the burdens of the pandemic, these challenges have made it difficult for people to find the means to survive.

In response, CWS has partnered with the Canadian Food Grains Bank. Together, we are working to provide 3,000 households (15,000 individuals) with four months of emergency food rations.

Through this project, thousands of vulnerable families can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that they will have food for the next coming months. Program participant Hussein Shure Guyo told us, “we thank the organizations for the food they have brought. May God bless them.”

To ensure a lasting effect, this project has been led by advisory groups made up of leaders in the community. These leaders will be important in eventually implementing disaster risk reduction projects like the ones implemented by CWS in nearby areas. These projects include activities such as beekeeping and loan saving groups and have “so far witnessed significant impacts and successes,” says Mary.

CWS’ emergency response and long term projects help communities endure the effects of climate change and ensure there is enough for all.

Stories of Change

A student in West Pokot County, Kenya, uses a handwashing station funded by CWS to help communities prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Students in rural Kenya are on a path to greatness

“We are very grateful to CWS and its partners for the great transformation happening at our school,” says Francis Loseron, the chairperson of Chepakul School in rural western Kenya. “The reason I say this is because the girls’ biggest need [a dormitory] has been met; as a result, they will be happy, healthy and ready to learn. It’s a sad state that so many of our public schools are in similar high-poverty situations, but it’s also a testament to the power of our community here. We assigned ourselves different roles during the construction. Mr. Samson Kameri, the school treasurer, and I saw to it that parents came out in large numbers to support the construction projects. Also, we had a shortage of toilets at the school. With the [CWS and partner] support, we are now confident that the school’s sanitation has been improved and the school now has enough toilets.”

Every child should have the chance to go to school and get an education. What happens, though, if that school isn’t equipped to help them learn? What if it is too far away, and the long walk to and from school is dangerous for girls? What if the school doesn’t have enough bathrooms, or running water? What happens if parents don’t realize how many doors education can open for their children? And, as we’ve seen recently, what happens when a pandemic closes school doors for months?

All of these “what ifs” are real challenges facing many of our neighbors worldwide. Here at CWS, we know that we can overcome them when we work together. That’s why our team in Kenya is working with communities in West Pokot County, where Loseron lives. Hand in hand with students, parents and communities, we are knocking down these challenges. We’re constructing dormitories so that girls don’t have to face dangerous journeys every day. We’re installing water pumps, tanks and toilets to improve hygiene and sanitation. We’re talking to parents about the importance of education. Finally, as schools reopen after long pandemic-driven closures, we’re helping teachers and school leadership welcome them back.

Selina is an eighth grade student at the same school, Chepakul. “CWS not only made it possible for us to have a dormitory at our school,” she said, “but also helped improve water systems and provide life skills and mentorship programs for us.”

Selina also told us how CWS helped as the school reopened. “Early in 2021, 10 students dropped out due to problems from the coronavirus. Some of them were either preparing to get married or engaging in work like bodaboda [motorcycle taxis],” she said. In West Pokot, it is not uncommon for teenage girls to be married to older men for economic reasons. “CWS helped our teachers and parents bring them back to school,” Selina said.

She has a message for you, too: “We see ourselves being great people in the future, and we are so proud and grateful for our supporters for reaching out to us.”

Liman Agnes is the deputy head teacher at nearby Ngengechwo primary school. “The girls’ dormitory built by CWS at Ngengechwo triggered the West Pokot county government to construct a boys’ dormitory,” she said. “Because of this, boys here have no reason to miss school…student enrollment has doubled, and we attribute this to efforts by CWS in our school and community. Parents are more positive than before, and we are working with the leaders to ensure that students, particularly girls, are supported to stay in school.”

Liman told us about how the pandemic had impacted her school. “Our students were lagging behind, having lost almost a year of school during the COVID lockdown. Their counterparts in Nairobi and other big cities were still learning because they have internet connections at home and can afford computers. We are grateful to CWS for helping our teachers to facilitate catch-up learning sessions when the schools were reopened,” she said. “They trained teachers, supplied materials and shared information with our parents about COVID prevention.”

In the neighboring community of Kapsentoi, Totok Lolinganya is the father of Sikuku and Patience, who have just finished high school and eighth grade. “I am deeply humbled because I am one of the lucky parents whose children had a chance to benefit from CWS programs in Kapsentoi,” Totok said. “The most important project was providing counseling to our girls. They have also given me the resolve to take Patience to secondary school, since I now know that there is hope for our girls–as opposed to my tribe’s attitude that girls are a source of wealth in the form of dowry when they get married. My two educated daughters will be great. They will not only change the status of my family, but they are already becoming great role models to their fellow girls, including families who believe that marriage is everything.”

Girls across West Pokot County–and their families and school communities–are blazing trails right through the challenges that they used to face. We’re so proud to stand beside them as they do.