our initiatives
Reading Clubs
We have facilitated the establishment of reading clubs in schools and communities, and set up a community bookshelf that allows learners to borrow reading materials after school and during holidays, ensuring continuous access to educational resources. Additionally, learners can engage with board games during their interactions, which promotes critical thinking. These initiatives foster a culture of reading, enhance literacy skills, support continuous learning, and develop critical thinking and social skills among learners, contributing to their overall educational development and personal growth.
Inspiring Alumni
Visits
The Meraki Action Initiative (MAI) conducts termly alumni visits, where former pupils return to share
their stories with current pupils. These sessions provide learners with firsthand accounts of overcoming challenges, highlighting that their environment should empower, not limit, their aspirations. By listening to these inspiring stories, students build resilience, gain motivation, and recognize their potential to achieve great things despite any circumstances. Additionally, the alumni often provide vulnerable pupils with scholastic materials and older girls with menstrual hygiene kits, ensuring the girl child is supported throughout her time in school. These visits have been instrumental in fostering and promoting a positive academic and social atmosphere among learners.
GREEN TEEN Club
The Green Teen Club at Abim Primary School, formed through the Meraki Action Initiative, is a dynamic group of young activists dedicated to promoting climate justice and resilience. Through comprehensive training, these students have developed a deep understanding of climate change and its injustices, recognizing how these issues directly affect their education, health, and future prospects.
Empowered by this knowledge, they are committed to being game changers, actively addressing these critical challenges. As part of their efforts, the club is supported in planting trees and establishing an orchard at the school, reinforcing their commitment to environmental sustainability.
gENDER INITIATIVE
Young women in rural areas face higher rates of violence compared to their urban counterparts. A study by the WHO reveals that one in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence, with young women in rural communities bearing a disproportionately high burden. The Meraki Action Initiative has empowered communities through social workers to become effective allies in preventing gender-based violence (GBV). As referral pathways are established, there’s a growing emphasis on addressing the power dynamics that fuel GBV.
Community members are encouraged to hold perpetrators accountable, with leadership playing a crucial role in driving change. With the support of the Meraki Action Initiative, women leaders are stepping up to challenge these harmful dynamics, ensuring that referral pathways are accessible and effective in providing support and justice for survivors. These efforts aim to end child marriage and teenage pregnancy, place greater value on education, and foster community rebuilding.