Ahead of International Day of the Girl #IDG , 4 brilliant Girl Advocates from #Kwale_Girls_High_School and #Kingwede_Girls_High_School stepped into executive leadership roles to challenge stereotypes and advocate for their future. Through a partnership between @PlanKenya (Kwale Program Unit) and Muslim Women Advancement of Rights and Protection @Mwarpkenya , these young leaders participated in the #GirlsTakeover initiative, taking over top offices across Kwale County: - County Commissioner – Ministry of Interior and National Administration - County Drought Coordinator – National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) - County Non-Communicable Disease Coordinator – County Department of Health Services During these takeovers, the advocates engaged directly with top administrators to discuss leadership journeys, navigate career pathways, and challenge the societal norms that limit young women. Crucially, the girls used their platform to address real issues affecting their daily lives—calling for immediate action on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights #SRHR and the impacts of climate change in their communities. After stepping into these roles and delivering powerful calls to action, these young advocates proved once again that leadership has no gender. The sky is the limit. Empowering a girl is empowering a nation. 🇰🇪✨ #InternationalDayOfTheGirl #IDG2026 #GirlsTakeover #GirlsLead #GenderEquality #YouthEmpowerment #KwaleCounty #PlanInternational #MWARPImpact

Muslim Women Advancement of Rights and Protection @Mwarpkenya , in partnership with Plan International Kenya @PlanKenya , and @RedcrossKwale participated in a high-level stakeholder engagement hosted at the Governor's Office in Kwale County. The meeting was chaired by 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫 @ and attended by key leadership, including the 𝐊𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫, the 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲, and the County Director of the 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 (𝐍𝐃𝐌𝐀), among other key actors. The primary focus of the meeting was to review and strategize around the Kwale County 𝐄𝐥 𝐍𝐢ñ𝐨 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 (OND 2026) in anticipation of the enhanced rainfall projected to begin between late September/early October 2026 and persist through January 2027. Key Takeaways & Operational Priorities: 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 & 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭: The projected El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole conditions bring potential benefits for water replenishment, but also pose severe flood risks to low-lying, riverine, and coastal wards. With over 98,000 residents currently facing food insecurity , proactive measures are critical to safeguard vulnerable households, agriculture, and key infrastructure. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: To execute comprehensive pre-, during-, and post-flood interventions across 8 key sectors including #Health , #Water , #Infrastructure, #Agriculture, and #Energy, the County Steering Group #CSG has outlined a budget requirement of Ksh 245 Million. With Ksh 25 Million currently available, joint efforts are underway to bridge the Ksh 220 Million funding gap alongside national government bodies, development partners, and corporate stakeholders. 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Priority is being directed toward activating Sub-County and Community-Based Disaster Management Committees (CBDMCs) for last-mile early warnings; pre-positioning medical supplies, relief goods, and water treatment kits; desilting drainage systems; and monitoring high-risk infrastructure including major dams and mining facilities. 𝐌𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐏 and 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 remain committed to working hand-in-hand with the Kwale County Government and local leadership to protect lives, secure livelihoods, and build community resilience against climate shocks. #KwaleCounty #DisasterPreparedness #ElNino2026 #CommunityResilience #PlanInternational #ClimateAction Kenya – at Kwale, Kenya