Model and Strategy
Dandelion Africa is a grassroots, Kenyan woman-led organization that promotes gender equality, human rights, and wellbeing for women and girls living in marginalized and rural communities in Kenya. Rooted in a deep knowledge of rural cultures and social norms, Dandelion’s programs address cultural and logistical impediments to women’s sexual and reproductive health, economic livelihoods, social and girls’ education.
Dandelion believes that when communities lead, change is lasting. Its community-led programs encompass:
- Health. With a special focus on reproductive health and maternal and child health, Dandelion delivers free primary healthcare services through a 24/7 Health Centre; a Backpack Nurse program that makes door-to-door visits in 34 rural villages monthly and works with local health institutions to improve health-seeking behaviors of communities who live near these facilities; and sexual and reproductive health education and free contraceptives delivered by trained Community Health Volunteers, Peer Educators, and Community Leaders.
- Advocacy. Advocacy programs increase awareness and responsiveness by the community – especially men and village elders – on gender-based violence (GBV), reduce the stigma around reporting GBV at the community level, and increase systems’ responsiveness and coordination around reporting and prosecuting GBV.
- Livelihoods. Dandelion trains women from rural areas to save and borrow their own money and start small businesses for self sustainability. Training encompasses business skills, climate change mitigation through water projects, smart farming, and family planning. When training is over, women join self-help groups for ongoing support.
- Youth Programs. The Girls For Leaders program works with 55 schools and over 5500 girls in communities that practice Female Genital Cutting and early marriage, addressing impediments to girls’ education to increase their probability of staying in school. The Boys for Change program works with over 5000 boys and men, educating and encouraging them to end retrogressive cultures and champion women’s and girls’ empowerment at the community and leadership level..
Impact
In rural Kenya, 70% of women and children lack access to primary healthcare. On average, there are 500,000 maternal deaths in the country each year because of poor access to reproductive healthcare and infrastructure. And 40% of rural Kenyans live in poverty compared to 28% in urban areas. Dandelion Africa is determined to change these outcomes, and its community-led model has led to individual and system-shifting impacts in rural and traditionally conservative communities. These include:
- Expansion in women’s access to reproductive health services. Over 45,000 women have received free contraceptives, and the Health program overall has reached over 300,000 people.
- Improved maternal and infant outcomes. Rapid growth of skilled deliveries at Dandelion’s Medical Centre (530 in 2021) are reducing maternal and infant mortality rates in the surrounding region. Their free, quality, proximate services have reduced unskilled deliveries by 70%.
- Increased systems of support for survivors of Gender-Based Violence. In 2021, 600+ gatekeepers and 100 village elders were trained on GBV prevention and the reporting process; GBV community committees were activated across three counties; and a GBV Prevention and Response Network formed across sub-counties. Dandelion’s network of male anti-GBV champions now numbers 350.
- Reduction in Female Genital Cutting. 10 villages have declared themselves Anti-FGC, with community-based support systems in place to end the practice.
- Increased income. Over 3,000 women have increased their incomes.
Leadership
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Wendo Aszed
Founder & Executive Director
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Bilha Chemutai
Finance Director