At first, there was hesitation. Eyes darted to the floor, hands stayed low, and the classroom at St. Paul’s Gashororo Primary and Junior Secondary School in Kiambu County sat in a kind of quiet curiosity. The children, weren’t quite sure what to expect but neither were we.

We were here to test something we had spent months developing, a Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) curriculum.

Designed for children aged 10 to 14, the curriculum helps young learners understand their bodies, their rights, relationships, consent, and the changes that come with puberty. Every concept is delivered in a way that’s safe, honest, and age-appropriate.

Moreover, we have seen the cost of silence. In too many communities, children enter adolescence armed with fear and myths, or worse, nothing at all. We wanted to break that cycle.

As the sessions unfolded, we saw the true potential of the curriculum. Children actively engaged, asking difficult questions that most environments wouldn’t typically entertain from them.

The two days we called St. Paul’s Gashororo Primary and Junior Secondary School home provided us with a valuable opportunity, not only to assess how we should redesign and roll out the curriculum, but also to ignited an important conversation about the urgent need for this initiative.