Empowering Communities: The Journey and Impact of CYAN Kenya

“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.” -Zig Ziglar

Emergence and Growth of Cyan Kenya

 In 2019, Steve Juma and Joseph Were were part of a community project in Kenya that came to an abrupt end due to funding shortages. 

Realizing that this would most likely happen time and again, they decided to combine their past experience and knowledge to create a new organization, one that would rely solely on community involvement, and help those youth in need, regardless of finances.

Together with like-minded friends, they established Cyan Kenya, an organization that would be sustained by local engagement and support. Steve Juma became the Director and Joseph Were took on the role of Program Coordinator of Cyan Kenya.

In the spirit of volunteerism and compassion, Cyan began working in the community without a single donation. As if they were breathing it into existence, Steve and Joseph began to have meetings with local groups to ensure their engagement. As time went on, they developed a working structure for Cyan.   

The growth that Cyan has achieved during the past 5 years is a testament to the drive and passion of its leaders and the community that supports them. Cyan prioritized sustainability through youth involvement and mentorship.  

 They created a self-sustaining model by training youth to become mentors to others, thus encouraging growth and resilience within the community. Utilizing this Train the Trainer approach, and involving the community in their decision-making, Cyan has emerged as a model and testament to what a determined group of determined citizens can achieve collectively. Together, they have empowered their community for generations to come.

Comprehensive Programmes Addressing Community Needs

Cyan Kenya is dedicated to implementing sustainable interventions that address the multifaceted needs of the community, with a focus on empowering youth and promoting health and well-being.

• Early Childhood Development Among Teen Mothers
  

  One of the many projects Cyan Kenya addresses through community intervention is “Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development Among Teen Mothers.” This initiative focuses on engaging teenage mothers, who face many new challenges ranging from lack of family support to opting out of school, and infant care for newborns.

  Cyan assists them with career planning and training, as well as ensuring the well-being of their infant. Classes are also offered on how to protect oneself from various risks such as HIV/AIDS and violence. Through mentorship, Cyan Kenya helps young moms build economic empowerment skills, and create small businesses which in turn will provide them with a future livelihood.  

   

• Peer-To-Peer Support Group
  

  CYAN Kenya offers peer-to-peer support groups for adolescent mothers that focus on their mental health. Assistance comes from former “at risk’ youth themselves, who have successfully overcome the many challenges they previously faced to become trained community workers.  They are able to reach those in need by using their past experiences to gain trust and understanding amongst their peers and help them navigate any mental health challenges they face.

   

• Community-led Research and Child Support Programmes
  

  In addition to the mother and child programs Cyan offers, they also engage in community-led research to anchor their interventions with an informed perspective. Cyan Kenya believes that the community has the solutions to many of its problems, and with proper information, these solutions can. Partnering with local government and community health workers ensures proper early childhood development.

   

• Youth Economic Empowerment Programs
  

  CYAN conducts youth economic empowerment programs, equipping both teen mothers and young boys with income-generating skills such as detergent making, hairdressing, farming, and table banking. By partnering with local government agencies and like-minded NGOs, Cyan bestows these youth with all the skills necessary to provide for their futures. 

  Another major goal of Cyan’s community work is to reduce teenage pregnancies, HIV/AIDS infections, and gender-based violence in the community.  Cyan understands how crucial cognitive development is for children during their early days, so classes and training are given to both mom and baby to ensure the future well-being of the child.

• Community Health Champions
  

  In collaboration with both the County and the Federal Governments of Kenya, Cyan implements community health initiatives through a program called “Community Health Champions”.

  Community Health Champions are volunteers who canvas the community and distribute pamphlets and other vital information about where various healthcare needs and services can be accessed by the public.

Engaging the Community

Before delving into research, Cyan Kenya prioritizes community engagement to help them understand the challenges faced by the local population. Recognizing prevalent issues such as hunger, high rates of HIV infection among young girls and men, and gender-based violence, the organization refers to these as the “triple threat” affecting their community. 

Cyan Kenya actively involves community members in identifying problems and proposing potential solutions. By seeking input from those directly affected, they are able to tap into the community’s inherent knowledge and resources. This participatory approach ensures that interventions are relevant and responsive to local needs. 

The way this approach works is simple and effective. Let’s pretend the team has identified inadequate access to contraception in the community. Cyan Kenya would then collaborate with the community to find possible solutions. It might be the need to provide education regarding contraceptive use. If this is the case, then Cyan would segment the population into different age groups, each with its specific needs, challenges and experiences.

Through these interventions, Cyan Kenya seeks to address the diverse needs of community members and promote sustainable solutions that are owned and supported by the community itself. This approach allows everyone in the community to know about any relevant problems and become actively involved in finding ways to eradicate issues. This also makes research easier for Cyan as they get current information from all the members of the community.

Ensuring Sustainability: Future Plans and Partnerships

Cyan Kenya originated as a means to end the need to end outside funding to sustain community health programs within Kenya.  The founding members of Cyan Kenya envision the organization prospering long after they are gone, hence they continue to mentor as many people as possible. This level of self-sufficiency would mean community empowerment in Kenya won’t stop at any cost. 

Cyan actively seeks partnerships to explore income-generating activities that would help support its vision and programs in the long term. One such idea includes building a youth-friendly healthcare facility in the near future. A venture like this would help generate enough revenue from the community to pay for support staff. The center would provide health services to everyone, not just the elite. 

Cyan is also planning to have an income-generating farming enterprise. They plan to have a local farm where they can grow crops and other agricultural products to sell locally. They would use the revenue for other Cyan activities, ensuring their continuity and further development.

Cyan is a community of people. They know with passion and knowledge that a community can grow and expand. They welcome anyone who can support Cyan not only financially but also by providing resources that contribute to its sustainability. This can include offering their expertise, knowledge, or human resources. Cyan Kenya is an organization that brings people together to uplift themselves and the community. 

Cyan Kenya emphasizes the importance of building a foundation for sustainability that extends beyond immediate financial support, welcoming partners who are committed to aiding their long-term growth and impact.