We are thrilled to report on another successful year of the 160 Girls Virtual Justice Clubs (VJC), having engaged over 3000 VJC leaders, and having reached over 20,000 community members with VJC leaders sharing the 160 Girls Justice Journal. Please click here to read the 2023 VJC impact report.
VJC student leaders and their siblings complete 160 Girls human rights lessons on the VJC app, and share the device provided them by e² with their neighbours and friends on a rotating basis. This rotating model of device sharing allows e² to maximize our 135 devices. The 160 Girls Justice Journal deliveries (the Justice Journal content is created in part by VJC leaders) continue to be an amazing opportunity for young VJC leaders to share their new human rights education with community members, resulting in increased confidence for the VJC leaders, and increased knowledge for community members about how to report child rape and the importance of respecting girls’ (and boys’) equality rights.
Claire’s story helps to illustrate the VJC impact: Claire, a VJC leader and a Grade 6 Student from Makongeni Primary School in Homabay County, reported that her friend had been repeatedly defiled by an uncle who lived with the friend’s family. Having been trained and empowered on the steps to take during a defilement reporting and how to support a defilement survivor, Claire reported the incident to CATAG, the local VJC implementing partner, who informed the children’s officer and police. Claire’s friend was taken to hospital and received psycho-social support. The perpetrator has since been arrested, and the case is currently ongoing at Homabay Law Courts. Claire and her friend are glad that access to justice has been achieved in this case.
VJC leaders like Claire report: “Thanks for empowering us to know more about our rights.”; “I liked the way our VJC uniform made us shine like stars, when we pass by it makes people alert.”; “I felt like a community hero as a VJC leader helping defilement victims.”
160 thank you’s and more to you for your continued interest in, and support of, e² as we continue to implement the 160 Girls access to justice initiative, and make girls’/women’s rights real.
