SAYDS MEDIA
November 16, 2022
Decision-makers influence the sustainability of interventions. We should always target government resources.
Goals of the workshop
SCA members introduced themselves as a group of youth equipped with systems thinking, trying to use the knowledge to create possible solutions to the complex social problems in Siaya County. The team explained that they are part of the SAYDS Community Association, an umbrella housing Makadara and Utawala Groups.
SAYDS community association amplifies youth voices to influence policy with pragmatic and resilient solutions to help social problems within communities. The introduction explained the process of becoming systems leaders, highlighting CAT, SIT, and Policy sessions and how the training equipped them as a youth to become systems thinkers and systems leaders.
Participants shared social problems that Siaya residents face and asked for clarification on the criteria used to settle on poor educational performance among learners in Siaya County. Some of the social problems suggested included: drugs and substance abuse and teenage pregnancies.
The teams presented critical information on the two social problems discussed, namely;
There was a discussion on these issues, and the conclusion ranged on resources and decision-makers. The workshop agreed that decision-makers influence the sustainability of interventions and that we should always target government resources. The team agreed to expound on this concept in the systemic insights for policy.
The team shared the findings on the two systemic insights of policy documents with the participants. While this stays true, there was a need to explore meaningful ways to create more awareness of the findings.
The team acknowledged the roles that key stakeholders play in the findings. For instance, the team highlighted that Parents and government educational curricula contribute immensely to the success of parts of the solutions.
Sexual reproductive issues in institutions play a critical role in education in conjunction with parents and religious leaders. It is a requirement to write letters to the education office to get permission to talk to students.
Community health workers and mentors are influential when talking to school-going girls. Additionally, relevant stakeholders can use school parent outreach programs to counsel parents on improved parental guidance.
Some of the key insights as revealed by participant concerns were;
The facilitators thanked the participants for attending the session and providing feedback and information to improve the SIP. From the discussions, various volunteers requested to be part of the movement. The facilitators assured the participants that SIPs would be revised and shared with them.
You will be placed in the appropriate team or project depending on your skills and experience. Please reach out if you can assist us in any of the following fields: