Jael"s Arm of Hope Centre

27/02/2026

"Beyond community activities, our project through the Haki ni Yetu has also strengthened our organizational capacity. Through coaching and mentorship on monitoring and evaluation, financial management, and visibility, we have improved how we document our work and tell our story. We are now better equipped to track change, report responsibly, and share lessons from the ground.

So far, the most important shift we have seen is in attitudes, and that is what makes us proud, even though we know we are not there yet there" - Oscar Ryan Ouma

Our European Union in Kenya funded project in Bwiri Ward is empowering women, engaging men, and bringing duty bearers together to break the silence on Gender-Based Violence.

Read on the link below the full story from our Programs Officer.
CSO Network

When we launched our project, Empowering Women to Address Gender-Based Violence in Bwiri, under the Haki Ni Yetu Project, supported by the European Union in Kenya through the Civic Action and Community Empowerment Grants (CACEG) sometime in October 2025, we knew that although we had already been wor...

24/02/2026

Our sub-location sensitization workshops in Busijo, Namuduru, Nabuganda and Busembe have now grown into something bigger, which is now a ward-level stakeholders’ forum that was held yesterday in Ganga, Bwiri Ward.

What we started as just small community conversations has come together into a united space for action against Gender-Based Violence.

This forum brought together duty bearers and community leaders, including the Area Chief-Bwiri, Deputy OCSs from Ganga Police Station, the Gender Desk Officer, Ward Administrator, representatives from the MCA’s office, religious leaders, sub-location representatives and community volunteers and the leadership of our Organization led by Pauline Nagila.

The discussions focused on understanding GBV and its impacts, challenging harmful cultural norms, and strengthening community response systems. Men actively took part in the conversations, asking questions about family rights, children, and court processes, which is a clear sign so far that these dialogues are truly opening up spaces that were once silent in the community.

We all had a unanimous resolve to speak out against abuse, protect our children, and report cases without fear.

This noble and timely event was made possible as part of our European Union in Kenya funded project under the Haki ni Yetu Project.

What is now very clear is that exists, but silence must end. Together, we are building a Bwiri where no one suffers in silence.
CSO Network Oscar Ryan Ouma

18/02/2026

We had an enriching capacity-building session with the CSO Network , who visited us at our office in Ganga.

As a grassroots organization, we truly appreciate the practical lessons shared with us on donor compliance, financial management, and reporting, especially on the proper use of payment vouchers, procurement procedures, and documentation. We also gained useful insights on visibility and how to better capture and share our work, both online and in the community.

We are grateful to the CSO Network team for their time and support. We honestly learned a lot, including correcting some things we thought we were already doing right.

Because of this engagement, the story we will keep telling is one of hope and unity in the fight against Gender-Based Violence.
European Union in Kenya Pauline Nagila

18/02/2026

As part of our European Union in Kenya funded project, we have always been intentional about using existing community gatherings as safe and practical spaces to hold honest conversations about Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

These platforms allow us to raise awareness, challenge harmful and retrogressive norms, and encourage the community to take collective action against GBV.

We recently leveraged a church gathering in Namuduru and later joined a meeting of the Bismillah Boda Riders Self-Help Group in Busijo. Both spaces created room for meaningful dialogue, especially with men, who asked many important questions about divorce, the rights of children when separation occurs, and the weak response systems that are often shaped by fear, stigma, and the tendency for families to handle GBV issues privately.

These discussions showed a strong need for continued engagement and open conversations, particularly with men, to break the silence around GBV and strengthen community responsibility in responding to cases.
CSO Network Pauline Nagila

05/02/2026

Our second phase of our European Union in Kenya funded project: Empowering Women to Address GBV in Bwiri is ON!
We successfully held our first sensitization workshop on 1st February in Busijo Sub-location. The session brought together community members and religious leaders to openly discuss issues of Gender-Based Violence and its impact on families and the wider community.
As part of the same activity, we also conducted a legal aid and counselling session.
One woman who was supported has been experiencing GBV for a long time but had remained silent due to threats, physical assault, and verbal abuse. She had previously attempted to seek help from the local administration, but they often hesitated to intervene, since they felt they would be labelled as wanting to destroy their family union.

During the session, we encouraged her to report the case and reassured her that she was not alone. She received support from a medical practitioner, a mental health advocate, and our Executive Officer, Pauline Nagila , who is a trained paralegal.

The biggest takeaway from our conversation is that GBV continues to affect many people in our communities, but silence remains one of the greatest barriers to justice and access to support.

Let's always speak up! Silence is not the solution!
CSO Network

08/12/2025

Globally, over 50,000 women were killed in 2024 as a result of GBV 🌍.

While in Kenya, an average of 13 women lose their lives every day due to gender-based violence. 😔

These are not just numbers. They are our daughters, mothers, sisters, friends—lives stolen by systems that continue to fail women.

GBV is not a private matter; it is a societal crisis that weakens families, fractures communities, and undermines our nation. Behind every statistic is a woman forced to navigate unsafe spaces, silence, and fear.

Many survivors face overwhelming barriers: limited access to justice , social stigma, and economic dependence that traps them in harmful situations. Too often, speaking out comes with punishment instead of protection.

Ending GBV requires a united front—offline and online. It demands accountability, safer communities, empowered survivors, and collective action from all of us.
Silence enables violence.
Action saves lives.

European Union in Kenya CSO Network

04/12/2025

Yesterday, we held a peaceful walk as part of our activities.
The walk brought together both men and women from the community, starting at Nanderema, passing through Ganga Market, and ending at Ganga Police Station, where we were warmly welcomed by Inspector Benjamin Lagat, the Deputy OCS.

This initiative is part of our goal to strengthen community response systems by bringing all actors together in the fight against GBV.

During the walk, community members spoke passionately, urging the police to act fairly in all GBV cases and never side with perpetrators—building trust and encouraging more reporting. Gender officers thanked us for the initiative, saying it would make their work easier. The Deputy OCS also reminded everyone that GBV cases, whether online or offline, should always be reported.

Since , We have no choice but to STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS.

European Union in Kenya CSO Network Pauline Nagila Oscar Ryan Ouma

04/12/2025

During our second sensitization workshop at Busembe late last month, we held a deeply interactive session with many GBV survivors who opened up about the stigma and emotional trauma they have lived through.

Hard truths were shared.
Many stories revolved around in**st, broken families, and predatory behaviour—especially cases where men marry women knowing they have daughters, only to later assault those girls sexually or physically. These are the silent wounds that tear families apart.

Women also spoke about the lack of strong empowerment programs, a gap that continues to make them vulnerable to manipulation, abuse, and economic dependence.

But the session was also a moment of strength.
We discussed clear pathways for reporting GBV, encouraged survivors to speak confidently, and offered support through counselling and follow-up.

The communities we want are within reach.
We already know what to do: Protect. Report. Speak Up.

Let’s do what we know we should do!



CSO Network European Union in Kenya Pauline Nagila Oscar Ryan Ouma

01/12/2025

We joined the global call for the 16 Days of Activism with our first community gathering under this project at Rick Rock Church, Namuduru, yesterday. We also used existing community spaces to raise awareness on GBV, its impacts, and to remind key stakeholders — especially religious leaders — to speak up against violence in all its forms.

During the engagement, we took participants through this year’s theme and emphasized the need for safer digital spaces.

Violence is violence, whether it happens offline or online.

We also received tough but important questions, especially from some of the men present. One question stood out: “Why is it that women are rarely taken to court, yet men also face gender-based violence?”

This opened up an honest conversation about the silence and stigma that surround gender issues — especially when men are the victims. Many participants pointed out that Namuduru has some of the highest GBV cases in Bwiri, but most of them remain hidden behind retrogressive cultural beliefs and the idea that “family matters should stay in the home.”

We encouraged the community to always speak out and report cases, because the law protects everyone. We also shared key GBV legal frameworks, including Article 27 of the Constitution, the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015), the Sexual Offences Act (2006), and the Children Act (2022) — all of which safeguard the rights and dignity of survivors.

Let’s keep raising awareness in our communities — because awareness is what precedes real change.
European Union in Kenya CSO Network Pauline Nagila

26/11/2025

As we embark on the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we’re reminding everyone that abuse doesn’t happen only in our homes or communities — it also happens online.

Through our project: Empowering Women to Address Gender-Based Violence in Bwiri, we’ll be holding awareness sessions and a community walk to spread the message of safety, dignity, and respect for all.

Let’s work together to make online spaces safe for everyone — women, men, and people of all genders.

Online abuse is real, and it is not acceptable.
Let’s call out harmful behavior and help create digital spaces where everyone is treated with respect. Oscar Ryan Ouma Pauline Nagila
European Union in Kenya CSO Network

10/11/2025

During our session Yesterday, we got a real sense of the important role pastors play beyond preaching — especially in offering counseling and psychosocial support to their congregants.

It became clear that religious leaders are often the first point of contact for many people, particularly women, who may feel more comfortable seeking guidance from someone they trust in their community when facing issues related to GBV.

This experience really highlighted why it’s so important to include pastors and other religious leaders as key partners in our advocacy work.

By engaging them, we can ensure that messages about equality, justice, and ending violence reach people in ways that are supportive, culturally grounded, and accessible.

It also reminded us that meaningful change often happens not just through formal programs, but through trusted voices within the community who can guide, counsel, and influence behaviors in positive ways.

European Union in Kenya CSO Network Oscar Ryan Ouma Pauline Nagila