Our Programs

A child is considered literacy-poor if they cannot read and write after the foundational classes, Grade 1 to 3. In the five schools we work with in Vanga ward, over 80% of learners are still at beginner level. Literacy camps give Grade 4 learners the time and attention to catch up.

We partner with Nyansapo AI to assess every learner and place them at Beginner, Letter, Word, Paragraph or Story level, then build sessions around each group. Camps are facilitated by teachers and young volunteers from the community, all trained on our literacy implementation guide, gender mainstreaming, safeguarding and child protection before they work with children.

The guide covers phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension, following the basics of reading and writing recommended by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. Because GGI provides food during the camp, absenteeism drops — on an ordinary day, 10 to 20 learners would be missing from school.

Children are under parental care, so KWEMA only works if parents are part of it. Together with the schools we hold meetings for Grade 4 and Grade 7 parents before each cycle begins, to gain consent and ask for their support.

The focus is child rights, and how to support a child to stay in education. Many children face neglect and abuse and their parents do not seek help or report it. We hold these meetings alongside the Directorate of Children Services, the Ministry of Interior, and Probation and After Care Services, so that questions get answered on the spot by the people who handle these cases.

That has changed how the community understands the justice system and what government does for children — and it has changed how willing parents are to report a safeguarding concern.

Lunga Lunga is one of the areas caught in a continuing cycle of gender-based violence and child abuse — sexual abuse, child neglect, adultification, child labour, FGM, forced child marriage and teenage pregnancy.

GGI pursues justice for child victims and survivors through referral to the court system, and provides psychosocial support. Cases needing psychological support are referred to the Wazi counselling platform, and matters of a legal nature go through our partnership with the Kwale Court Users Committee.

All of this sits under a safeguarding policy and a policy on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, with a gender committee that meets quarterly to handle complaints.