By Eugene Wangila (YES 2017-2018, Kenya, placed by CIEE in Hope, IN)

My exchange year in Indiana introduced me to the importance of civic responsibility and the transformative impact of education. Volunteering at the community center in Hope and supporting local events, like Heritage Days, inspired me to bring these lessons back to Bungoma County, Kenya, where I knew I could make a difference.

Upon returning home, I was struck by the challenges affecting our educational system, like teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, early marriage, and female genital mutilation, which disrupt youth education. Witnessing some of these challenges impact my siblings further fueled my commitment to take action and create change.

To tackle these challenges, I launched a YES Alumni Grant project aimed at strengthening student support through peer counseling. Partnering with the Elgon Centre for Education, we conducted a specialized training program for 30 guidance and counseling (G&C) teachers in August 2024 to equip them with essential skills to support their students.

The training encompassed a range of essential topics for effective peer counseling, including foundational counseling skills, developing and utilizing a peer counseling manual, the role of G&C teachers, psychological first aid, volunteerism, leadership, academic achievement, and team building. We conducted group discussions to create a peer counseling manual tailored to our local context and set up a leadership structure to support the peer counseling initiative.

Each of the 30 trained teachers is now tasked with training 20 peer counselors at their respective schools. These peer counselors will form clubs to provide crisis support, foster a supportive school environment, and address challenges such as student retention and teenage pregnancy. Our goal is to build a support network that promotes student well-being and academic success. These peer counselors are now active in 30 schools across the region. Feedback has been encouraging, with many expressing a strong desire for further training to sustain and expand their counseling programs effectively. As a result, they have already trained 160 peer counselors to support the program's continuity.

Special thanks go my fellow YES alumni, Angel Adamba, Esther Omenda, and Solomon Nkinai, and Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) alumni, Abdulkarim Taraja, Mercy Cherop, and Andrew Yumbu, whose support was instrumental in planning and implementing this project. Their dedication and expertise were invaluable in ensuring the success of our training program. I also appreciate Elgon Centre for Education for taking part in this project.

I would like to thank the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for their sponsorship of the YES program. Their support provided me with the tools and inspiration necessary to drive this initiative and make a tangible impact in my community. As we move forward, I am optimistic about the positive changes this project will bring. Enhanced support systems within our schools will help address some of the pressing issues our students face and contribute to a more supportive and nurturing educational environment. I am committed to continuing this work and exploring additional ways to support and empower our youth.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. I look forward to sharing further updates on our progress and the continued impact of our peer counseling program.

Solomon Nkinai (YES 2009-2010, Kenya, placed by AIFS in Everett, WA)
Angel B. Adamba (YES 2017-2018, Kenya, placed by Greenheart in Grand Prairie, TX)
Esther J. A. Omenda (YES 2018-2019, Kenya, placed by AFS in Cleveland Heights, OH)