The Department of Gender and Social Services, a division of the national government, is attempting to carry out a study to evaluate the barriers and facilitators to social protection service access in Siaya County.
Kenya Society for People Living with HIV and AIDS (KESPA) will collaborate with the National Social Services Fund (NSSF) to conduct a two-month study focused on the Inua Jamii program, pensions, and services.
The goal of the study, according to KESPA Programs Officer Daniel Odipo, is to identify some of the challenges that older people 60 years of age and above have had in obtaining those services.
He said that in order to learn more about the difficulties that older and disabled people have had in receiving social protection services, they want to hire research assistants who will travel around to houses and interview these individuals.
Odipo continued, saying that the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Services will receive a report on the study along with recommendations for improving the delivery of social protection services.
Speaking to an audience of senior citizens at the Bar-Ogong’o chief’s camp in the Alego/Usonga sub-county, he said that recipients of Benta Atieno’s Inua Jamii program had been facing several obstacles when trying to obtain social protection services.
In addition to pointing out the considerable distances they have had to go in order to get the cash transfer funds, they also mentioned how little Ksh. 2,000 they receive each month.
James Ochieng, the officer in charge of the Inua Jamii program in the Alego/Usonga constituency, was also present at the meeting. He seemed confident that the study, which will be carried out in the counties of Kilifi, Siaya, Embu, and Kisii in September, will aid in the improvement of their services.
