Access, Services and Knowledge (ASK) 2013-2015 Program

The Access, Services and Knowledge (ASK): what young people want, what young people need programme 2013-2015, was a program founded on the core belief that young people are the owners as well as the experts in youth programming and services for SRHR. The programme focused on working with and reaching young people aged 10-24 years with a particular focus on reaching under- served groups. The program was built on a holistic understanding of the factors that influenced young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

The impact focused on:-

• Strengthening the capacity of the individual, through gender-sensitive SRHR information, education and skills building;

• Creating an enabling environment with communities by advocating for structural change with policy makers; and

• Improving the availability, accessibility and quality of SRH services for young people. 

This multinational Dutch Funded program was implemented in 7 countries: Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Pakistan and Indonesia. In Kenya, the program was implemented by 13 member organizations: Africa Alive! (AA), Centre for the Study of Adolescence (CSA), Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), ChildLine Kenya (CLK), Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK), Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK), Maximizing facts on AIDS (MAXFACTA) now AYARHEP, Nairobits Trust, Network of Adolescence and Youth of Africa (NAYA) Kenya, National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK), UNESCO, Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya (WOFAK) and the World Starts With Me Alumni Youth Advocacy Network (WAYAN) and in 12 counties: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia, Homabay, Migori, Kisii, Siaya, and Uasin-Gishu.   

Key result areas:

1. Young people are better informed and are thus able to make healthier choices regarding their sexuality

2. A growing number of people have access to anti-retroviral drugs, contraceptives and other commodities required for good sexual and reproductive health

3. Public and private clinics provide better sexual and reproductive healthcare services, which more and more people are using.

4. Greater respect for the sexual and reproductive rights of people to whom these rights are denied.

The Theory of Change stipulated that all three areas must be addressed simultaneously in order to scale up young people’s access and uptake of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.