How Homa Bay is using hotline, WhatsApp Chatbot to fight GBV

Children’s services department in Homa Bay town is usually a hive of activity every day of the week.

By 8am on a normal day, you will find groups of parents sitting on benches waiting for children’s services officer Joseph Otieno. Some are accompanied by their children, mostly teenage girls.

Among cases that Mr Otieno handles is sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) that targets adolescent girls.

Most SGBV cases reported to police are forwarded to him. He then collaborates with security officers to take suspects to court.

The parents visiting his office are those whose daughters have been violated. “Sometimes the women who come here are also victims of violence but only report when their daughters are caught in between,” he says.

After recording the cases, he begins the process of ensuring the SGBV survivors get justice. It involves calling police and national government officers from areas where the cases are reported.

Challenges

But his work sometimes becomes difficult when he is unable to proceed with cases where survivors, their parents and suspects collude and interfere with investigations.

“Most of the cases where collusion happens involve relatives. Some settle the matter at home and try to disrupt the investigation process by the government,” Mr Otieno says.

When parties interfere with cases, witnesses never testify in court. Magistrates usually throw out cases where no one is willing to testify against suspects, including in SGBV cases. The problem cuts across Homa Bay.

In Ndhiwa, children’s services officer John Kabasa says collusion has led to some suspects not being charged.

“Some SGBV survivors go into hiding and fail to cooperate with investigators. It affects the gathering of evidence,” he says.

But gender activists now believe they have found a solution to this problem and are hoping it will help lock perpetrators behind bars. The county now has a toll-free hotline and a WhatsApp Chatbot to which SGBV cases can be channelled and necessary action taken against perpetrators.

The two platforms, dubbed near health link system, offers an avenue for survivors to share their ordeals without their identities being disclosed, before they are directed on what to do and the same matter reported to the authorities.

The platforms were launched on November 27 by ZanaAfrica chief executive officer and founder Megan Mukuria and the county's chief gender officer, Dolphin Ochere, after 10 months of study on the challenges affecting women and girls.

Platforms embraced

Before coming up with this idea, ZanaAfrica conducted a rapid assessment through focus group discussions on knowledge, attitude and perception of the community of schoolchildren regarding the implementation of a hotline and a WhatsApp Chatbot.

It was accepted by adolescents and youths, who felt it would help answer most of the questions about sexual and reproductive health. Ms Mukuria says they will strive to provide answers to questions being asked and provide solutions to problems the community faces.

“If we don't have an answer to your question, it is possible for us to find one and call you back,” she says.

Unlike other hotline numbers where gender issues are reported, this one has operators who try to offer quick solutions to problems asked by callers by referring them to relevant agencies. Callers get referrals.

Ms Mukuria says the hotline number will be put on sanitary towels issued by the organisation and in public places so that it can be easily accessed.

“The only requirement needed for the Chatbot is an internet-enabled mobile phone and data. It is the most effective means of communication among adolescents,” she says.

Plan by ZanaAfrica is for the hotline to respond to issues starting with child protection and sexual and reproductive health, and expand issues based on community needs.

Ms Mukuria says operators of the hotline can connect callers to referral partners to provide a seamless service to digital and physical points of care.

ZanaAfrica programme manager Alice Onsarigo, says they help adolescents navigate puberty by offering them a platform for discussing issues like reproductive health, sexuality, mental health and consent.

She says operators assigned to answer questions are trained and can answer questions around sexual reproductive health, menstrual hygiene, puberty, and sexually transmitted infections, among other issues.

Also read: The SMS platform helping GBV survivors in slums get justice

Among the issues they anticipate to get from Homa Bay is what an adolescent or a woman can do when violated.

“Most people are always caught between a rock and a hard place on where they should go when defiled or raped. They can always call the number and get a response on where they are supposed to go," Ms Onsarigo says.

ZanaAfrica leadership believes the system will increase the number of people seeking information on certain issues affecting Homa Bay.

"We believe rape and teenage pregnancies will reduce. Information is power and we want women and teenage girls to be empowered and have knowledge of their rights," Ms Onsarigo says.

According to her, some teenage girls who shared their ordeal when the system was being developed said they did not have information about some of the issues the platform seeks to address.

Ms Onsarigo says a lot of people face the same predicament but are afraid of reporting because of stigma.

However, the use of technology allows one to hide his or her identity and the operators cannot share the information sent to them with anyone.

Besides Homa Bay, the system is used in Kiambu, Kilifi and Nairobi, where it has helped many residents.

"We need people who can make informed decisions and hope to expand this programme throughout the 47 counties," Ms Onsarigo says.

Ms Ochere says some survivors of SGBV face stigma and are unable to report their ordeal. “This platform provides an opportunity for survivors to report their cases without being exposed.”

According to Community Aids Transformation Alliance Group (Catag) officer Basra Dahir, a lot of women suffer in silence for fear of stigma.

She says the platform will enable the women to air their plight and get help.

"Our county has had negative headlines about vices affecting women and girls. Let us use the 16 days of activism against gender violence to educate communities about the rights of women and girls," Ms Dahir says.

She says violation of women and girl rights is immediately felt when girls drop out of school and women engage in limited economic opportunities. "Our organisation will continue empowering teenage girls and young women to speak up for their rights," Ms Dahir says.

SGBV policy

The county already has a GBV policy. Governor Gladys Wanga says it will boost their campaigns.

"We must engage our local communities in candid dialogues on where they place the plight of women and girls. Our communities must know that violence against women and girls is the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide and we must take the initiative to stop it," she says.

Ms Wanga calls for concerted efforts and improved laws and services to prevent and eliminate violence among women and girls. She says she is still concerned about the high number of teenage pregnancies and HIV infection.

Among champions leading the fight against SGBV in the county is Ms Millicent Kwamboka, president of the Young Advisory Council for Health. Her group does periodic community engagement with young people.

"We meet every Thursday with youths and discuss self-care. We have since witnessed people opening up about their challenges and asking for help," Ms Kwamboka says.

Ms Yvonne Otieno, the gender representative at Tom Mboya University, says students in higher learning institutions are also violated. Her interventions, including advocacy, have helped many students stand up for their rights.

"We need to fight for our rights as students. No one should be violated based on her gender," Ms Otieno says.

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