From the Swahili words Binti, meaning ‘young woman’ or ‘daughter,’ and Shupavu, translating to ‘strong’ or ‘fearless,’ Binti Shupavu is a vibrant brand in Kenya which resonates with girls, positions contraception as relevant to their goals, and elevates their voices within their communities.
Our goal is to spark a world in which every Kenyan girl is supported to make their own choices as they take charge of their futures and plan for the lives, and families, that they want.
86,859
Girls served with modern contraception
360
Sites activated
65
% of girls voluntarily adopting a method after engaging with A360
51
% of girls voluntarily taking up a long-acting method
Data from Jan. 2018 through July 2020.
Situational Analysis
The state of adolescent SRHR in Kenya
Kenya continues to face significant challenges due to high rates of teen pregnancy, with severe consequences to the health and future opportunities of adolescents. One in six adolescent girls between 15 to 19 years old either becomes pregnant or is already a mother, resulting in over 260,000 pregnancies annually.
These national rates of teen pregnancy mask severe disparities and need among certain counties in Kenya. The most recent DHS showed that upwards of 40% of girls in counties such as Homa Bay and Migori had given birth prior to age 18. Among these girls and young women, nearly 2/3 said that their birth was mistimed, with most saying they wanted to have a child later.
High rates of marriage in certain counties also contribute to high rates of teen pregnancy and poor maternal outcomes – though the national age at first marriage is 21, in some counties such as Migori and Narok it is as low as 18.
Barriers to SRH access for Kenyan adolescent girls
A360’s formative research phase in Kenya (2021) unearthed insights that added to and validated the evidence on what barriers adolescent girls face in accessing and utilizing SRH services.
In our insight gathering phase, we learned that adolescent girls wanted to better understand their contraceptive options, but accessing information felt overwhelming and confusing. They wanted access points where they could discuss their concerns and options, but required more discretion than was often offered to them, particularly at health facilities, in order to feel safe in expressing themselves openly. Girls wanted those around them to believe in their potential and their capabilities, despite the challenges.
Moving into our design prototyping phase, we saw that girls valued connecting and learning from each other, alongside trusted sources in the community. They were willing to visit the health facility many times to learn, not just when they wanted to get a contraceptive method.
WHAT IS BINTI SHUPAVU?
Bintu Shupavu is a fresh take on providing information and access to contraception.
The intervention is a Kenyan experience of a user journey that A360 understands well. Girls feel contraception is relevant for them; they are supported in a way that feels aspirational and goes beyond health; their key influencers are engaged; and services are local, relevant and friendly.
The three components of the Binti Shupavu intervention, described in more detail below, replicate A360’s approaches in a way which are fit-for-purpose, using contextualized stories and branding and working with the local health system to meet the needs of a diverse population of adolescent girls who need services. Binti Shupavu is implemented across four counties in Kenya that are some of the areas of greatest need – Homa Bay, Migori, Kilifi, and Narok.
Want more detail about A360’s replication process in Kenya? Dig into this article which describes the process and outputs in more depth.
Binti Shupavu — A360’s flagship ASRH program in Kenya — works alongside girls, their communities and governments to support girls to access SRH services they want, and need.
BINTI SHUPAVU INTERVENTION COMPONENTS
Click the below breakouts to explore our approach.
Binti Shupavu Stories
Binti Shupavu Stories engages and educates influencers in the community and those closest to young women so that they can collaboratively address misinformation and support the decisions girls make about their bodies and futures.
Binti Shupavu Clinic
Binti Shupavu supports girls’ agency and contraceptive decision-making by creating a safe space, through Binti Shupavu Clinic sessions, for young women to build trust in the health system, learn about contraception, and share experiences and stories with their peers. During these sessions, A360 works with providers to improve their counseling capacity to address young women’s concerns and promote the provision of a full range of contraceptive options.
Shupavu Skills Classes
A sub-set of girls who participate in Binti Shupavu Clinic sessions are supported to progress through a series of six skills sessions, focused on improving girls’ capabilities. These sessions cover soft skills such as decision-making and communications alongside financial management and vocational skills that can provide girls with avenues towards earning income.
Binti Shupavu Fest
The intervention culminates in a moment for girls and those around them to come together to celebrate the unique contributions of young women within their communities through the Binti Shupavu Fest.
Voices from the Field
Dr Njoroge was a soft-spoken man in a white lab coat. He talked to her about early pregnancies and later counselled her on ways not to get pregnant. “At the end of the session, I settled for a five-year implant, Jadelle.
We were taught how to budget and save, so I started saving 30 shillings daily. My sayings grew as I sold more soap.” I no longer wait for my husband to come back with food or come with pampers for the baby. I make these decisions alone because I now have the money.
One of the greatest helps I received here is the education on contraceptives. It's something girls like me in the village had no way of learning about before.
