Why Vunja Kalabash? 

It is about breaking away from negative social & cultural norms that hinder one’s holistic and all-inclusive development. The negative health behaviors are contained in a calabash, which although wide in the bottom, it has a narrow ‘mouth’. If something big gets stuck in the calabash, it has to be broken, to get to the bottom!  

So, realizing the increased psychosocial challenges facing the youth, like those in institutions of higher learning, it is important to break the Kalabash, towards a holistic, all-inclusive education approach. 

“Invest in Holistic University Education Today; You change Different Corners of Kenya; You touch tomorrow’s professional and Leader,” (Kagunda, 2018). 

 What are the main psychosocial challenges faced by students in institutions of higher learning? 

Gender Based Violence, constituting of rape, sexual harassment, economic, emotional, killings & physical violence are occurring at an alarming high rate amongst students in institutions of higher learning. 

However, as much as GBV is one of the leading psychosocial challenges facing youth, it cannot be addressed in isolation. VK comprehensively addresses GBV and its link to increased substance abuse, sexual reproductive health issues and suicide. 

• the VKCP includes identifying and training a core set of popular opinion leaders (POLs) inclusive of students and administrators that seek to change social norms and promote positive health behaviors through a series of skill-building activities to promote: mentoring, social media, presentation, lobbying, and mobilization skills. 
• These early adapters recruit additional students and administrators and through an informal train-the-trainer model, they teach newly recruited POLs skills to change social norms and promote positive health behaviors.