Chief Omondi had long witnessed school dropout, teenage pregnancy, and youth unemployment in his area. However, like many local leaders, he initially viewed these challenges as private family matters beyond the scope of his official responsibilities. Engagement between local leadership, schools, and service providers was limited, and there were few coordinated mechanisms for identifying vulnerable girls and youth or connecting them with timely support.

EEO helped change this perspective by engaging chiefs, ward administrators, and local institutions through advocacy, partnership-building, and coordination. Local leaders were invited to participate in community dialogues, training sessions, and coordination meetings where they examined referral pathways, child protection mechanisms, and the role of local structures in preventing dropout, responding to protection concerns, and expanding opportunities for young people.

Through this engagement, Chief Omondi began using barazas and other community meetings to speak openly about the importance of education, child protection, and youth opportunities. He supported follow-up on at-risk cases, linked families to relevant services, and encouraged schools, parents, and community structures to work together before challenges escalated.

His leadership helped shift the response from isolated interventions to shared community action. Issues that had once been treated as private family concerns increasingly became matters requiring coordinated support from families, schools, local administration, service providers, and the wider community.

“This is not just EEO’s work. It is our work as a community. When girls and youth succeed, we all succeed.”
— Chief C Omondi