Women in slums in Nakuru town are set to attend community based family planning workshops to mitigate child protection, unwanted pregnancies and abortion challenges that are faced in informal urban settlements. Sister Pauline Kimotho of Nakuru Sisterhood Association said the programme will start in April. She spoke at Nyamakuruto slum area along Nakuru-Nyahururu highway during a pilot survey of the area and said they are targeting slum areas like: Bondeni, Kivumbini, Kanyon, Nyamakoroto, Muchanganyiko, Ronda, Ponda Mali, among others. According to her, the sisterhood association was liaising with the ministry of health, Family Planning Association, and the county government to ensure young women and other women members of the areas get adequate awareness of the importance of practicing family planning. “One reason why we came up with this programme was to mitigate the challenges of unplanned births rates, child mortality and maternal deaths cases that are prevalent in urban informal settlements in the country,’’ said Kimotho. The sister added that ignorance and illiteracy coupled with alcoholism and drug abuse in such areas, which are caused by poverty and other socio-economic hardships, greatly contribute to unprotected sexual habits among women. She elaborated that the family planning education programme will entail actual door-to – door visits, interviews, counselling, HIV and Aids testing and distribution of family planning materials and drugs to residents.

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