Migori: Youth for a Sustainable World (YSW) has highlighted the lack of accurate sexual and reproductive health information and limited access to youth-friendly services as significant challenges contributing to teenage pregnancies, new HIV infections, and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) among young people in Migori.
According to Kenya News Agency, the organization plans to tackle these issues through its newly launched five-year strategic plan, focusing on sexual and reproductive health rights, gender equality, and youth empowerment as key priorities. During the strategic plan’s launch in Rongo Sub County, YSW Executive Director Evelyn Samba emphasized that many young people are deprived of correct information on sexual and reproductive health. Furthermore, those seeking services often find it challenging to access facilities that cater specifically to their needs.
Samba pointed out that community discomfort in discussing young people’s sexual and reproductive health further complicates their ability to obtain necessary information and services. This, she explained, contributes to teenage pregnancies, new HIV infections, and SGBV among the youth. “Young people have a right to sexual and reproductive health information,” Samba stated, underscoring the necessity of access to correct information for making informed life choices.
Under this new strategic plan, YSW intends to bolster life-skills education in schools and extend these initiatives to communities via youth empowerment centers. The organization will collaborate with parents and community structures to foster discussions on sexual and reproductive health rights and enhance community support for young individuals.
Samba revealed that YSW is committed to ensuring that young people are linked to youth-friendly health services, where they can receive proper care from trained professionals. These efforts are already underway in Migori, particularly in Rongo Sub-County, where YSW has identified high teenage pregnancy rates and concerns about HIV infections among the youth.
The program, which commenced in November 2025, aims to empower young people to make informed choices by enhancing access to information and strengthening their connections to health and community support structures. YSW Board Chairperson Eda Mwangola noted that the strategic plan had adopted an intersectional feminist approach to prevent the exclusion of vulnerable groups from development programs.
Mwangola emphasized that this approach involves young women, girls, men, and young men in development processes while addressing social structures influencing their lives. Additionally, the organization plans to empower young people to advocate for policies affecting their lives and communities.
Beyond sexual and reproductive health rights, the strategic plan prioritizes women’s economic and social empowerment, youth entrepreneurship and livelihoods, policy advocacy, and fortifying YSW’s organizational systems. In response to unemployment and limited job opportunities, YSW promotes youth entrepreneurship by equipping young individuals with skills and linking them to resources necessary for establishing enterprises.
The organization also aims to enhance collaboration with county governments and communities in implementing the strategic plan. Samba stated that YSW intends to complement governmental efforts by working with communities and county authorities to ensure the sustainability of programs addressing young people’s needs beyond the organization’s presence in these areas.
Mary Odek, a youth participant from Rongo, shared that YSW programs have helped young people understand how to prevent HIV infections, teenage pregnancies, and SGBV. She noted that these programs have boosted her confidence and ability to advocate for her rights, while youth groups have benefited from economic empowerment initiatives, including poultry and agriculture projects. Odek added that the program had also promoted the inclusion of young people with disabilities in community development activities.
David Onyango, Rongo Sub County Director of Education, remarked that YSW initiatives complement government programs, with their activities integrated into the ministry’s curriculum. Onyango mentioned that recent research by YSW showed a school dropout rate of seven percent, with ongoing efforts to reduce it to five percent.
The new strategic plan aims to ensure that young people have access to information, skills, and opportunities that enable them to make informed decisions, engage in development, and advocate for their rights.
