Girls Power Punch
Context
The Population Council’s 2020 report on the impact of COVID-19 in Kenya indicates that a significant proportion of teenagers reported experiencing depressive symptoms, including stress during the pandemic. Almost half of teenagers in urban areas (Kisumu 47%, Nairobi 46%) and one third in rural areas (Kilifi 34%) showed symptoms associated with depression.
Loss of employment and income, and stress from restricted movement, increased intra-household violence, with 2% of girls surveyed reporting sexual violence. The proportion of teenagers who had experienced physical violence was 39% for girls and 52% for boys.
In this context, Boxgirls Kenya uses sport to provide support to these young people.
Goals
- Raise awareness of mental health issues on an ongoing basis
- Reduce the stigma associated with mental illness
- Promote help-seeking behaviours and emotional well-being practices
- Improve self-defence skills through boxing
- Building safe communities for girls and women
Activities
- Monthly training of 20-30 trainers to acquire the skills to effectively deliver sessions
- Design and development of short videos in the form of electronic material presenting self-defence and mental wellbeing techniques,
- Organisation of challenge and discussion sessions by the girls on mental wellbeing and fitness
- Initiation of follow-up support for 20 mini wellness and sport projects run by girls in their communities within their community
- Weekly coordination by coaches in the different communities
Impact
- 30 coaches have access to information and tools, enabling them to effectively implement community projects through sport
- Girls in charge of mini-projects will benefit from 480 coaching sessions, these projects will use sport to promote well-being in the community
- 20 mini-projects will be implemented