CSE is not Satanic, it is the Pathway to SBCC

For generations it's been a well-kept secret. And for even more generations, this secrecy has caused a great deal of harm. Viewed as a can of worms which needs a tight lid to remain closed always; a taboo that no one dares to utter lest you are tagged as an outcast. When in all honesty, what we should do is talk about Comprehensive Sexuality Education in schools. According to UNFPA in a study done in January 2023 poverty and limited access to education were associated with high rates of adolescent pregnancy while approximately 4 in 10 women aged 15-19 who have no education have ever been pregnant.

The woman representative Kirinyaga County, Jane Njeri Maina had the right idea. She presented a bill to allow comprehensive sexuality education in our schools which was later passed by the members of parliament. This was a huge step towards the right direction and here's why.

For most teenagers, the adults' actions are like building a high wall to prevent the wrongfully considered, naive youngsters, from experiencing the beautiful ocean. So that when they finally break out, they have no compass to navigate their way through the treacherous waters. That's how they get lost. Were you expecting a different outcome?

No matter how high you build your walls, fragments slip through the cracks in the walls and with no guidance the young run their hands along these cracks only to find themselves exposed to the negative impacts of uninformed choices, from unintended pregnancies, to new HIV infections, to Sexually Transmitted Infections, to drug and substance abuse, to school dropouts, to....

Dear Clergy, Enough with the metaphors! The clergy have recently put up a great fight against the bill presented by women's Rep, Jane Maina Njeri, calling for the need to let the children be taught by their parents and spiritual leaders. What’s most interesting is, the idea only came after the bill was passed. Question; where were the parents and clergy leaders all those generations back? Question: Do they mean to say that they had never thought about it before? Which reminds me, a great number shies away from the mere mention of the word sex. These are the same people who now claim to be well equipped to instill this knowledge in our children. We need well trained human sexuality therapists or at least licensed counselors. Today, the majority of adolescents aged 15-20 rarely attend church services and if they are, they are busy hunting and gathering numbers of the opposite gender.

Adolescents and young people are in desperate need of a module to guide them before, during, and after puberty. From a personal perspective, why would I opt for the CSE curriculum? I believe and understand that before it’s delivered to adolescents, and or young people, it will have gone through specialized departments, with the support from experienced stakeholders hence bestowing such an impactful content to the innocent but curious minds. Truth be told, most people today aren't in constant access to religious places. It only makes sense that the lessons be led in common spaces such as schools where there's no categorizations based on backgrounds.

No, contrary to Archbishop Arthur Kitonga's words, Kenya is not a Christian nation, article 8 of the second chapter of the Kenyan Constitution clearly says “There shall be no state religion.” Yote Tisa, Kumi! What we need is a guideline, a module, a curriculum, and this is exactly what Comprehensive Sexual Education gives. Tools to be able to demystify this misconception around what sexuality education entails. If CSE is implemented well, people will stop using it as a weapon against children because they will know what consent entails. It will take away the powers of the false prophets who promise to guide our children only to abuse them. Aren't there things you wish you knew when you were younger?

Change is scary. Still, change is nature. This is a one change that everyone will greatly benefit from. People of all ages and all genders. Parents won't have to worry about the world being a dangerous place because the children will have learnt how to cope with all the different situations. To finalize, the clergy should be realistic and accept the fact that, saving the future of their lambs calls for Social Behavior Change Communication, whose strongest Conner-Stone is none other than Comprehensive Sexuality Education.

Mercy Mugecha- RHNK Youth Advocate