Office of The First Lady
The Office of West Pokot First Lady has aligned its programs to Kenya’s Big Four Agenda,7 SDGs agendas, Kenya Vision 2030, Kenyan 2010 Constitution, West Pokot County CIDP 2017/2022, Intergral and regional women and children rights like CEDAW.
West Pokot County First Lady’s strategic plans (2018/2022) are as follows: -
1. Promotion of education activities in the county. The Office of the First Lady works closely with county and Central Governance, Ministry of Education, TSC, BOM, parents, chiefs ward administrators, ward First ladies and students. The activities conducted under education are;
a.Mentorship programme. This event is conducted during school holidays and so far, the office has conducted four sessions in 2018/19. The highlight of this program is he increased number of students attending during the holidays and the increased number of enrolments in schools. Emphasis on importance of education, entrepreneurship and innovation, social and media awareness, alcoholism and drug abuse, FGM and child early and forced marriage (CEFM), dress code and life values, peace initiative, exemplification and career development are the topics covered.
b.School visitation. The activities involve selection of a school and nearby schools come to a common point in the host school and it is done on a rotational manner within the five sub counties of West Pokot North, Pokot Central, West Pokot, Kipkomo and Pokot South. Key speakers are selected within the county staff to act as role models in the society. After training session, girls and boys are supported with dignity kits.
c. Career fair. It involves inviting the various institutions within and outside the county to showcase the programs they offer within their institutions. This enables the students to identify their career choices and the institutions that they would like to join to further their studies.
2. Promotion of health sector through the following activities: - advocate for health promotion. The office of the First Lady in partnership with Ministry of Health, relevant CSOs (ACF, Yangat resource centre, World Vision among others) and community members. We advocate for general public to go for early cancer screening, HIV/AIDS testing, blood donation, advocate for elimination of child/infant and maternal deaths.
a. Support selected ECDs with milk feeding programme. The office jointly with Ministry of Health, Education, county First Ladies Association (CFLS) in partnership with NCD Alliance, selected 2 schools with the highest rate of malnutrition and they include: -
-Kamanau ECD in Lomut ward -Central Pokot sub county and Chepkopegh ECD in Chepareria ward – Kikpkomo sub county which were supplied with milk for every 10 weeks and assessment was done after every two weeks to monitor the pupils’ health improve.
b. Support 3 selected schools with dignity kits [sanitary towels, undergarments, soaps, tooth paste and tooth brush]. First Lady office in partnership with Kenya Red Cross Society and Africa cotton Industry through CFLA, Ministry of Health and Education selected 3 schools that had needy pupils to be supported with dignity kits and other supporting items. the schools are; Korkou primary in Kasei ward - North Pokot sub county, Mbara primary in Sekerr ward – Central Pokot sub county and St. Francis school for the blind in Kapenguria – West Pokot subcounty. 50 boys and girls were selected per school to benefit by receiving the package.
3. Skill improvement program. First Lady’s Office in partnership with the county government has acquired 140 sewing machines to promote and empower vulnerable women within the county. 20 women were selected per location to benefit and in all the 66 locations countywide. In addition, they are given fabrics, lining material, threads, zips, tape measures and scissors. The county government has budgeted for the purchase of more sewing machines in each financial year to build up on this program as it envisions the establishment of an industry
4. The office of the First Lady and Cure International held a joint medical camp in July Konyao, Pokot North, Chepareria in Pkomo and Sigor in Pokot Central sub county. The exercise entailed assessment of people living with disabilities with particular interests in those with bone-related conditions. The review targeted mostly children for life -changing surgeries. The exercise further gave a guidance on which assistive devices to be given out depending on individual assessment report. In Konyao, 22people were identified for free corrective surgeries.
On 8th august 2020, 13 children from Pokot North who had been scheduled for corrective surgeries left West Pokot for Kijabe Hospital and ere successfully operated on.
164 children were identified in Pokot Central for free corrective surgeries.