I was raised by a single mom who had to drop out of school due to teenage pregnancy. Having been brought up from the lakeside region, where sex for fish or a boat ride is a trend, many adolescent girls and young women are lured into having sex in exchange for fish or a boat ride.

This has in turn led to the increase of sexually transmitted infections and high rate of new HIV infection between the age of 14-24 years. There has also been an increase of teenage pregnancies which in turn forces the girls to drop out of school.

My name is Sylvia Awinja, a woman, sister, and daughter whose upbringing was coloured by the sacrifices of a single mother who succumbed to early pregnancy. Having seen what my mother went through bringing me up and what these young mothers go through raising their kids and some even ending up in abusive marriages just to take care of their kids, I wouldn't want any other adolescent girl or young women to go through that. That's why I started this petition so that they can learn about their sexual and reproductive health rights. 

This campaign is geared towards ending the Tripple Threat that is teen pregnancy,new HIV infections and Sexual and Gender Based Violence by advocating for the inclusion of age appropriate sexual education in junior secondary schools.

A report by the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 shows that nearly half of Kenyan teenagers aged 15-17 years do not know how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS infection. According to an article published by nation media on February 254,000 young girls got pregnant in kenya in 2023, 55% of the pregnancies that were recorded were among adolescent girls and young women age 10-24,whereas 17% were among adolescent girls aged 10-19 translating into 696 pregnancies per day. The article continues to note that adolescents and young people aged 15-24 are disproportionately affected by HIV. 53,765 cases of sexual and gender based violence were reported at health facilities and rescue centers out of which 37% were among adolescent girls aged 10-17. We owe these young generation the best possible knowledge and information about sexuality and sexual behaviour so that they can make smart, empowered choices.

Sign my petition asking the National Government through the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Ministry of Education, Hon. Ezekiel Machoguto to instruct all schools to include Age Appropriate Sexual Education In Junior Secondary Schools.

They say ignorance is the mother of failure  so let us not fail our future generations! Knowledge is power lets us empower our girls.Your signature will come along way in helping young girls in Kenya know about their sexual and reproductive health rights at the right age and thus curb cases of teenage pregnancies and new HIV infections among young people

Please sign and share now #InclusiveSexEdNow #BreakTheCycle #ApproveSexEdKE