Empowering Vulnerable Communities in Kenya

The room was at overflow at an association in Kenya, Nairobi as beneficiaries and ‘peer-to-peer' educators packed in to listen to what representatives from the Global Fund’s Office of the Inspector (OIG) had to say about the importance of speaking up against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, or SEAH.

Peer-to-peer educators are, or used to be, beneficiaries themselves and volunteer for a small stipend to encourage other vulnerable population members to join prevention and treatment programs. In the three awareness-raising sessions conducted by the OIG and the Global Fund’s Ethics Office in August in Kenya, these educators comprised female sex workers, men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs. As members of vulnerable populations themselves, these educators are particularly at risk of abuse in their interactions with people in positions of authority.

Keen to Engage

The participants’ questions during the session – provided as part of the I Speak Out Now! awareness campaign on reporting wrongdoing – mainly focused on understanding what exactly constitutes SEAH.

“It seems like this message had not been delivered to them before,” said OIG Investigations Manager Mykola Martynov. “This highlights the importance of raising awareness directly with beneficiary communities so that they can spot red flags and prevent wrongdoing against themselves and others.”

Mykola was joined by Leah Nyambeki Orwoba, Victim Advocate with the Global Fund’s Ethics Office, and by OIG Senior Investigator Abiana Mancell.

“Personally, I was positively surprised about the level of engagement from the participants and their desire to find out more about this sensitive subject,” said Abiana. “Many of the participants told us that it was very positive for them to actually see a donor organization taking this issue seriously and coming to their country to speak to them, because it hadn't necessarily happened before.

The team explained different types of wrongdoing and how to report it confidentially, with a particular focus on tackling concerns surrounding sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

A Global Campaign

The OIG has been conducting awareness-raising with implementer organizations since I Speak Out Now! was launched in 2015. In 2022, for instance, it conducted 13 wrongdoing awareness sessions including seven webinars dedicated to raising awareness on sexual exploitation and abuse in Global Fund grants. These webinars reached grant implementers and sub-implementers spanning 44 countries, with more than 400 participants.

As part of the grant process, the Global Fund stipulates that grant implementers and sub-implementers must make available information on wrongdoing, as well as the available reporting and support mechanisms. The reality is that gaps continue to exist, and therefore increasing face-to-face presentations directly with beneficiaries is a crucial component in the fight again SEAH.

Identifying Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment

To empower individuals and organizations with the knowledge and skills needed to detect the signs of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in similar contexts, we offer valuable resources. Explore our e-lessons page, where you can access essential insights and guidance on identifying red flags.