It has been six months since we ran the full two week programme of the Training of Facilitators in Nairobi Kenya. The interactive, intensive and practical training gave 11 Kenyan leaders in road safety the opportunity to become trained facilitators and run training sessions with their peers on road safety risk factors facing them in their country. Now, six months on, we have reflect on the training and hear from a few of our participants.
In late 2012, YOURS trained 11 young leaders to become road safety facilitators.
Since the full Training of Facilitators in December 2012, many of our young leaders have either delivered a road safety training with their peers or are in the process of doing so! It is always inspiring to hear how the training impacted them and most recently, how they have put what they leaned into concrete action in the field.
Kenya Red Cross Society-RS10 Project – Road Safety Public Awareness Campaign Conducted in Naivasha District
9th June, 2013: The main objective of the initiative was to remind motorists, Boda Boda Riders, passengers and the public at large on the importance of Road Safety, latest amendments, traffic laws and regulations and share on the latest statistics on the Road Safety Project.
From January to July 2013, there have been 69 cases of reported Road Traffic Crashes in Naivasha Sub County, 19 of which were fatal. It was also relayed that all reported deaths were 20 years of age with all of them being male. At Kinungi Junction alone, they have so far reported 150 deaths of road users crossing the road on either direction.
It was due to such alarming statistics that KRCS, Traffic Police Department of Naivasha, Boda Boda Association, Matatu Association and community road safety committee took the initiative in reminding the public on the importance of adherence to the Road Traffic Laws and also in minimizing the number of RTC and in the end saving lives.
The team visited the three major matatu and boda boda stages in Naivasha where each department passed Road Safety messages to the drivers, riders, touts, passengers and the public.
Trained Facilitator: John Mikwabe of the Kenya Red Cross delivers road safety messages to his peers in Naivasha, Kenya.
Naivasha District has seen a reduction of 63% in Boda Boda related crashes and a 13% drop in the motor vehicle. This is a big difference since 2009 and since 2011 when the road safety project was launched in the district. The latest accidents have been between 7 and 9 pm which indicates less enforcement and lack of the speed gun as many motorists tend to speed during this hours. There is need of addressing this gap if accidents are to reduce.
John told YOURS:
For me personally,the YOURS training was the sparking plug that lit up my road safety torch. Everything was there but one element was missing and thanks to the YOURS training,the torch burns bright and the results are here.
Another trained facilitators, Mr Joel Njoroge has, since attending the training, been inspired to write two poems about the importance of road safety. We reproduce one of them here:
