Capacity building for Kisumu journalists on SRHR reporting

By Jabali Media

Over 15 Kisumu based journalists have been trained on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (ASRHR) reporting, aimed at accurate media coverage.

The two-day training held on Wednesday and Thursday at a Kisumu hotel, by the Centre for the Study of Adolescents (CSA) targeted journalists attached to various media houses based in Kisumu.

CSA is implementing a three-year Youth for Health (Y4H) project, that seeks to expand access to life-changing ASRHR services for the most vulnerable adolescent girls, including those with disabilities, residing in rural and remote regions of Kenya, with a focus on Muhoroni and Seme Sub counties.  

A study conducted by CSA revealed that the two areas have a high prevalence of teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS among young people.   

According to Collins Festo Owino, Y4H project officer, the initiative aims to enhance ASRHR by expanding access to high-quality information, education, and services, with a specific emphasis on underserved adolescents in Kisumu County.

He said journalists play a major role in shaping opinion in communities, making them the ‘go to guys’ for awareness creation on ASRHR issues.

“The media plays a very critical role in educating members of the public, conducting advocacy and helping us to highlight challenges for proper action,” he said.

“They can also help us in highlighting success stories as far as ASRHR issues are concerned. We want the media to be part of the changes we want to see in our communities and the country at large.”

He said parents and religious leaders play a critical role in the socialisation of young people, urging them to provide a listening ear in a bid to reign in on the challenge of rampant teenage pregnancies.

“If the church could come in and have age-appropriate conversations on issues of sexuality with young people, then we are able to give them the right information to make informed choices about their reproductive health,” added Owino.  

The project is co-funded by the European Union, through Marie Stopes International (MSI) and implemented in Kenya by a consortium of three organisations. They are CSA, DSW and Marie Stopes Kenya. 

Journalists who attended the training pledged to put to use the information acquired, to improve their ASRHR and SRHR reporting.