BCN Youths Taking SRHR Advocacy to New Heights
26 July 2023
BCN's Flourishing Network has been empowering youth across Nakuru County. Through their safe space meetings dubbed “Black Coffee Lounges” and “BCN Mtaani” they continually uplift the youth, nurturing a vibrant community where dreams take root and aspirations find wings to soar.
The Black Coffee Network (BCN) has been capturing our attention with its intriguing name, and during a recent field visit to Nakuru, Rwandan Country Coordinator Ariane Dusanga finally asked the question out loud.
“Why Black Coffee Network (BCN)?” she inquired.
Without hesitation, Ms. Angela Kioko, the Project Officer at this youth-led organization, explained that while university students are often associated with drinking beer or using drugs, BCN started in 2017 as a group of young university students drawn from various universities including Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology and University of Nairobi simply sharing a cup of coffee.
Today, BCN boasts a network of 1460 youth volunteers from Nakuru town and beyond. Every two weeks on Sundays they hold safe space meetings in Hilton Slum, where young people between the ages of 16 and 29 come together for community activities, discussions on essential topics, and insightful talks by guest speakers. As members age out of this range, they transition into advisory roles, guiding and supporting the younger generation.
Mrs. Ariane Dusenge Rwanda’s Country Coordinator (right) sharing a light moment with Ms. Angela Kioko, BCN Project Officer after the former attempted to pronounce “kahawa” na “shuka” during a field visit to BCN office.
The organization employs unique coffee-themed names to categorize its diverse areas of focus. Team Latte, for instance, consists of tech enthusiasts who use social media to amplify the voices of young people. Team Mocha is dedicated to promoting human health, with a strong focus on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) through their Make Way Programme. Team Espresso dedicates its efforts to community service, while Team Cappuccino expresses its advocacy through artivism.
“The biggest culture that we have in BCN is the Black Coffee Lounges that happens every two weeks on Thursdays. During these safe space meetings, we also advance the “Thursdays in Black Campaign by encouraging young people to resist practices that permit rape and violence of all forms,” said Ms. Kioko
BCN has become a formidable force in Nakuru County. Last year in partnership with the Nakuru West Gender Technical Working Group, they successfully advocated for the construction of a laboratory at the London Industrial Area and the completion of a laboratory at Ngacura Health Centre in Bahati.
Group 4 youth shedding light on the challenges faced by young people in accessing contraceptives during a safe space meeting hosted by BCN in Nakuru.
Recently, the organization trained 20 youths across three sub-counties of Nakuru on budget-making processes and advocacy. These youth champions played an active role in the development of the County Integrated Development Plan and Annual Development Plan for the 2022/23 financial year, advocating for intersectional SRHR budgeting.
Mr. Samuel Obara, the Make Way Kenya Country Coordinator, commended BCN for their exceptional work in providing safe spaces for teenagers and youth with diverse identities in Nakuru. “BCN is fostering social capital to mentor leaders and protect young people from abuse,” he remarked.
Black Coffee Network is one of the collaborating partners of the Make Way Programme, contracted by the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians.
