David Lupao, a children’s rights activist in Bungoma County, has witnessed firsthand how the dreams of young girls are cut short. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many girls were forced out of school and pushed into child labor, domestic work, and early motherhood. Young lives that were once filled with promise became entangled in challenges beyond their control.
David has always been passionate about protecting children’s rights, but his approach to creating change took a new direction after he was trained by CREAW in the Social Analysis and Action (SAA) model under the Imarisha Msichana project. The training opened his eyes to the root causes of teenage pregnancy and child marriage, revealing that these issues are not just about individual choices. The deeper problems lie in harmful social norms, cultural beliefs, and deeply ingrained community attitudes.
Together with other champions, David began engaging parents, local leaders, and schools in open discussions. Rather than blaming the girls, he encouraged the community to reflect on the gender norms that often shame teen mothers while ignoring the men responsible. Through community dialogues, parents and elders have started to question their beliefs about education, parenting, and gender roles. Schools have also begun to rethink their policies regarding teen mothers.
“For too long, we have condemned the girl and remained silent about the boy. If we truly want to end teenage pregnancy, we must address both sides of the problem,” David asserts.
The Imarisha Msichana project is an initiative implemented by Forum for Women Educationalists Kenya Chapter (FAWEK) in partnership with CREAW and the Mastercard Foundation, that aims to significantly reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy in Kenya during and beyond the COVID-19 crisis in 20 counties. One of its key interventions is to champion for school re-entry to teenagers and teen mothers.
David’s efforts are making a difference as more girls are returning to school, and families beginning to welcome them back home. The community is also changing its mindset, realizing that these girls need support, not shame.
Since the launch of the project in 2022, over 5,180 teen girls have successfully returned to school in the 20 counties with 245 girls in Bungoma county.
However, challenges remain; some families still struggle to accept their daughters, and many girls lack school fees, food, and other basic needs. David and the champions continue to advocate for change by urging parents to support their daughters, fight for justice against perpetrators, and lobby for stronger child protection policies.
“Change starts with us. Let’s shift our mindset, support our girls, and allow children to remain children,” David emphasizes.
Through his work, David is demonstrating that when a community changes its mindset, it can change the future for its children. And for the young girls of Bungoma, hope is on the rise.