Location: Kenya

Mission: FHOK promotes sexual and reproductive health (SRH) through engagement, leadership, advocacy, and education, for young people. FHOK is largely run by young people themselves, who set the goals of the organization in advocacy, outreach, peer education, and peer-to-peer coaching.

Objectives include:

• Address unmet needs through family planning
• Impart knowledge to enable young people to actualize their dreams
• Ensure that youth are able to access acceptable sexual reproductive health services
• Share behavior change communication with youth, particularly about teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and drug and substance abuse
• Attract diverse groups of young people to engage with the program

Focus Areas: Advocacy, community development, education, health, youth empowerment

Program Overview:

• FHOK’s programmatic model covers SRH, comprehensive sexual education (CSE), youth entrepreneurship, and advocacy. Youth activities span four main areas, including advocacy, community development, health, and sports.
• FHOK has several youth programs, including school-based programs in which mentors visit schools to facilitate discussions on youth-based curricula; workshops for young mothers; counseling sessions on condom use; and team building activities and focus group discussions for youth groups around life skills and SRH topics. There are nine youth centers in FHOK branches across the country.
• One example of FHOK’s youth programming is the Youth Action Movement (YAM), operating within the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). The YAM identifies young people’s priorities and needs for IPPF’s program planning, and empowers young people to advocate and be equal partners in programmatic decision making and resource allocation at all levels.
• There are no monetary incentives for participating, but young people can apply their leadership skills by serving as peer educators, regional representatives at the National Executive Committee, or board members of IPPF member associations.
• FHOK continues to engage with program alumni through online platforms, such as social networks and WhatsApp groups. Often alumni will take on leadership roles and become ambassadors of FHOK’s programs in other venues.

Impacts:

• Young people’s engagement in their schools and communities has substantially increased, with youth taking on more leadership roles. Parents have shared their appreciation of the programs, reporting that their children are better equipped to problem solve and make good decisions.
• Psychologically, youth participants develop self-control, self-esteem, and confidence; socially, they learn communication and cooperation skills. With these skills, youth can engage in their communities to protect their human and sexual rights.

Learn More: www.fhok.org