U-Tena is currently working on a plethora of projects designed to support community health, including: Performing Arts, ALOT Change (an educational program), Kuza (a sexual mentorship program for girls), Youth Friendly Services, Imarisha Maisha (HIV testing and counseling), Mtaani Intitiative 3 (financial independence), Teen Mother's support, and a Community Sanitation project.
PERFORMING ARTS
The Performing Arts Program uses art to bring sexual education and drug awareness to the Mukuru community. Traditional dances, thematic skits, and plays foster awareness in a relatable and effective way.
ALOT CHANGE
ALOT Change is a U-Tena program that works to increase access to secondary school in Mukuru. This project partners with the APHRC (African Population and Health Research Center) and focuses on leadership building via exposure visits and motivational talks.
KUZA
The Kuza Project works with school-aged girls to promote sexual education through mentorship. The project partners with GlobeMed and Brown University to send interns to support the project each year.
YOUTH FRIENDLY SERVICES
The Youth Friendly Center was constructed in 2009 in partnership with Goal Kenya and the Ministry of Health. It serves as a safe-space and center for artistic expression and learning for youth in Viwandani, Mukuru.
IMARISHA MAISHA
Imarisha Maisha partners with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to test and identify HIV to meet UNAID's 90-90-90 goal in Kenya. Since 2016, the program has expanded to cover five sub-counties: Kamukunji, Makadara, Lang'ata, Embakasi East, and Dagoretti.
MTAANI INITIATIVE NO. 3
The Mtaani Initiative targets youth to increase access to sustainable employment and financial independence.
TEEN MOMS
The Teen Moms Program supports young mothers during pregnancy and shortly thereafter. Mentors cover topics such as post-natal depression and relationships in order to support and educate young mothers.
SANITATION
Our Sanitation Project seeks to solve the issue of poor sewage flow in the informal settlement of Mukuru. U-Tena travels to different schools to teach healthy sanitation practices and proper toilet use.
Non-Communicable Diseases
U-Tena is currently seeking to prevent non-communicable diseases among youth by increasing awareness on risk factors. We do this with Health Talk by the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA). Music concerts, community conferences, and school talks also help to further awareness through survivor testimony, as well as health promotion activities such as morning runs and football tournaments. Finally, the project joins the national and county governments to increase NCD funds by providing evidence of NCD burden in engagement forums.
