Universities laud UN funded health O3 Plus Programme

Colleges have been urged to join the O3 Plus Programme an initiative of the UN that seeks to boost the health well being of students.

The University of Nairobi (UoN) and Mount Kenya University (MKU) are spear-heading implementation of the Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3 Plus) Programme in the Country so far.

Vice chancellors from the two universities have called for the inclusion of colleges in the initiative saying it will help students become wholesome and more useful to the community after graduation.

The programme is aimed at ensuring that young people in higher and tertiary education institutions in the Eastern and Southern Africa realise positive health, education and gender equality outcomes through sustained reductions of HIV infections, unplanned pregnancies and gender-based violence.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Regional Director, Prof. Hubert Gijzen says the programme is being implemented in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe to enable young people reach their full educational potential.

MKU and UON, being the pilot universities in Kenya, have already covered sufficient ground in the implementation of initial project activities.
Speaking during a 5.7-kilometre awareness walk organised by MKU, UoN and Unesco, UoN Vice Chancellor Prof Stephen Gitahi Kiama said the government should do everything possible to help students concentrate on studying.

Prof Kiama said UON will continue to partner with institutions of higher learning to implement the O3 Plus.
“Drugs, peer pressure, raging hormones, sex and early pregnancies are among factors that have been delaying completion of studies among university students and we hope to walk with them to tell them that there is hope,” He said.

MKU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi said immense achievements have been recorded at MKU main Campus, Thika, through the O3 Plus programme.

“The project gains to our students can never be overstated considering the numerous challenges that are facing the youth today at the Higher Institutions of Learning,” the VC said.

The MKU Thika Campus has over 10,000 students but only 1,400 of them live within the campus while the rest live outside the university.

“The university has over time established a very strong partnership with the neighbouring community through various types of agreements for the good of our students. Consequently, this sensitization event and all other similar ones would not be adequately accomplished without the community involvement,” he said.

Thika High School has partnered with MKU to develop a sports facility on a 10-acre piece of land that belongs to the secondary school.

“Through this partnership, our students have immensely benefitted through sports chaplaincy, which is open to all students at this campus, courtesy of the Thika High Chaplain, Reverend Stephen Kabuba,” he said.

MKU Co-Founder Dr Jane Nyutu welcomed more community based stake-holders to enroll in O3 Plus project activities given close relationships MKU management, students and their neighbours.

“Since the students are strongly influenced by the neighborhood, the decision to include the community in this event and other similar events is well advised,” she said.

Dr Nyutu said a study that was completed in 2020 on effectiveness of counselling services at Kenyan Universities found out that despite the availability of counselling services at the Kenyan Universities, only a few students benefit from these services due to negative attitude towards seeking counselling help as fueled by negative peer influence.

“It is indeed true that, even when students know they need counselling support, many do not go for this help. The 03 Plus project, using the various strategies including digital platforms, as explained by our earlier presenters, we then see a lot of hope for all students at the Universities across the continent,” she said.

Chairman of the Mount Kenya University Council Prof David Serem said institutions of higher learning are home to a large number of the youth who are energetic and sexually active. These young adults are vulnerable to challenges such as HIV/AIDS, unintended pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Gender Based Violence, Alcohol/drug and Substance abuse, Mental Health issues among others.

“We can no longer keep silent, watching the precious lives of these young people being destroyed by behaviours and practices that we can change, modify or even stop altogether. They must be guided so that they can safely transition to responsible adulthood,” Prof Serem said.