JOOUST commissions new student peer educators
It is said that the essence of teaching is to make learning contagious; to have one idea spark another. This was exactly the theme of the day during the commissioning of 40 trained Jaramogi Oginga University of Science and Technology student peer educators.
The peer educators were trained for five days after which they were assigned specific tasks under Behaviour Change Communication Groups (BCCGS) which encourages individuals and communities to change their behaviour by triggering them to adopt healthy, beneficial and positive behavioural practices in real life. BCCGS tackles girl child empowerment, entrepreneurship, health, mentorship and economic empowerment.
The commissioning was spearheaded by Mr. Peter Mitenga and Mr Jackson Ulira, trainers from Make Me Smile Kenya (MMS-K), an NGO organization based in Kisumu which handles entrepreneurship, mentorship, and sexual and reproductive health issues, for the youth. The two trainers took the members present through a peer educators’ leadership lecture and afterwards, the trained peers were given a platform to share their testimonials and stories of change during their fieldwork. After all, as Martin Luther King, Jnr. said, “Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”
Speaking during the exercise, the Director, Directorate of Special Services, Prof. Helen Atieno thanked the trainers and students for showing up and urged the trained peer educators to wear their tags once a week on a selected day so that their fellow students are able to identify them. She further urged them to feel free to visit her office and share with her on how best the Directorate of Special Services can serve them. “It is through peer educators that the issues of the students can be addressed,” She said.
The newly commissioned peer educators took a moment to light candles to signify the need to impact other peoples’ lives in a positive way and the power which had been bestowed unto them as ambassadors of spreading information to those in need before being awarded certificates. Mr Jackson Ulira, one of the trainers from Make Me Smile Kenya affirmed that the certificates are theirs but the knowledge acquired during their training is for sharing with others so as to positively change lives.
JOOUST peer educators Chairperson, Mr. Arlingson Omondi, appreciated the University for its support and the training opportunity. He however noted that they lack relevant resources to enable them facilitate their objectives and urged the institution to do what it can to help them in this front.
Such trainings enable the candidates to learn, enhance and adopt leadership values and skills necessary in making informed decisions. In addition, they encourage One on One small group interactions, mentorship – usually under the spirit of Ubuntu – and enable them protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections. The peer educators act as a link between students and the relevant staff members depending on the problem at hand, offer sexual reproductive health education and behavior change counseling.
The newly trained peer counselors are looking forward to carrying out mentorships within and outside the University and sensitizing their fellow students on HIV/ AIDS, Gender based violence, drug and substance abuse, cervical cancer among others. Though they say that practice is the hardest part of learning, training is the essence of transformation. Ours is to wish them nothing but the very best as they prepare to transform lives, one at a time.
