Written by Wyatt Foster with insights from Maurine Moraa, Clinical Officer, and Victrine Oluoch, Psychosocial Counselor
In Kibera, CFK Africa’s Youth Friendly Services (YFS) center provides essential support for young people, where Victrine Oluoch and Maurine Moraa play vital roles in empowering and uplifting the youth.
The Need for YFS
An estimated 75% of Kibera residents are under 18, and most do not seek care because of stigma and fear of receiving services around adults. To address this gap, CFK Africa opened the YFS center in 2018. A baseline survey helped shape the services offered at the center. Youth expressed a need for a safe, private space to access services and engage in recreational activities, making YFS a distinctive facility in Kibera. The center’s approach to combining physical, mental, and social health services under one roof is particularly valuable in a community where such comprehensive and youth-specific care is rare.
“This kind of setup is very unique, and there is no other place in Kibera where youth can get preventative, curative, and social services,” said Maurine. The center also provides a safe space for youth to engage in positive activities like gaming and ICT training, reducing the risk of harmful behaviors such as drinking or drug use, an issue that an estimated 13% of youth in Kibera experience.
YFS’s services expand into the community. After being trained by CFK Africa staff, Youth Peer Providers (YPPs) provide health talks to local schools, including four primary and three secondary schools. These talks not only educate young people on the services offered by YFS that they can access, but they also spread the word about CFK Africa’s other services, including the Lux Sit and Jim Rogers scholarship programs.
Over 3,500 youths pass through YFS’s doors every year. While there are many stories of impact, Victrine and Maurine shared two that have stayed with them.
Victrine remembers a young man who, after receiving mental health counseling, became a YPP himself and showed significant personal growth. His transformation from a client to a peer provider highlights the positive impact of YFS on individual lives. “From when he came in as a client and how he is now, he’s a totally different person. We’ve witnessed so much change and growth from within him,” she shared.
Maurine recalls helping a girl who had been suffering from abdominal pain due to a poorly performed abortion. Maurine’s intervention and referral for further treatment alleviated her pain after seven years, underscoring the importance of accessible and compassionate healthcare services for youth.
Services Provided
YFS offers a variety of services, including:
- Physical Health: General consultations, treatments, antenatal care, and family planning. These services ensure that youth receive medical attention and guidance to maintain their health. Referrals are made to outside medical clinics when care cannot be provided at YFS.
- Mental Health: Counseling for stress, depression, and SGBV. Victrine provides psycho-social support, helping youth navigate complex emotional and psychological issues.
- Social Health: Recreational activities like board games and health talks provide a safe and engaging environment for youth to relax and learn about important health topics.
- ICT Training: Provides youth technology training to prepare them for future employment or education in the technology sector.
Hopes for the Future
Victrine hopes to expand mental health services and reduce the stigma associated with seeking help in Kenya. To this end, she envisions peer mentors in schools and community education campaigns to raise awareness about mental health. Her goal is to create a supportive environment where youth feel comfortable seeking help for their mental health needs.
Maurine dreams of YFS becoming a one-stop shop for youth, offering comprehensive services without needing referrals. She believes that having an in-house lab and ultrasound services would provide end-to-end anonymity and convenience, increasing the desire of youth to seek services at YFS. Maurine envisions a future where YFS can provide all necessary services under one roof, ensuring that youth receive timely and confidential care.
CFK Africa’s YFS center is a vital resource for the youth of Kibera, providing support, care, and a path towards better health outcomes. Thanks to the dedication of professionals like Victrine and Maurine, YFS continues to significantly impact the community, standing by youth as they navigate their challenges and empowering them to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
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Victrine Oluoch is a Psychosocial Counselor who first joined CFK Africa as an HIV testing counselor. Her role has expanded to include mental health services for youth, offering support for issues like domestic violence, drug use, relationship challenges, stress, depression, peer pressure, teenage pregnancy, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Victrine’s work provides a safe space for youth to discuss their problems and receive the necessary support and counseling
Maurine Moraa is a Clinical Officer who provides general consultations, treatments, antenatal care, family planning, and health talks to youth. She also conducts outreach in schools with the help of Youth Peer Providers (YPPs), who are trained by CFK Africa staff and help spread awareness about YFS services. These YPPs, some of whom have accessed YFS services themselves, are instrumental in reaching out to their peers and encouraging them to utilize the services offered at YFS.
