Before every decision, there is often a quiet moment when a friend says, “Come with us.” It is the split second between wanting to belong and wanting to do what feels right. For many young people, those moments arrive long before adulthood. They shape relationships, opportunities, and sometimes entire futures.
Inside Kisumu Children’s Remand Home, those moments became the focus of an honest conversation. The session began with a familiar game of “Simon Says.” Laughter filled the room as instructions were followed, missed, and questioned. What seemed like a simple icebreaker opened the door to a much bigger discussion. Why do people follow others? Is following always the right choice? When does influence become pressure?
From there, the room shifted into an open forum. Led by Gloria Achieng’ and Rhodah Mongina, the discussion invited the young people to define peer pressure in their own words, as they understand it, before exploring how it appears in everyday life. Together, they unpacked situations that many adolescents recognize; pressure to fight. pressure to have sex, pressure to experiment with drugs. Pressure to ignore their own judgment simply to feel accepted.
The youth challenged common myths surrounding peer pressure; does saying no make someone weak? Is every form of peer pressure harmful? Can a true friend respect your decision even when it is different from their own? These questions encouraged reflection instead of memorized answers, helping each young person consider how their choices affect both themselves and those around them.
Every young person will continue to encounter moments when belonging and doing what is right seem to pull in different directions. Building the confidence to choose wisely begins long before those moments are here. It begins with conversations that remind them their voice matters, their choices matter, and their future remains theirs to shape.
Through Okiri, we remain committed to creating safe spaces for honest conversations, strengthening psychosocial wellbeing, and equipping children and youth at risk and in conflict with the law with the knowledge, confidence, and life skills they need to make informed decisions, rebuild their futures, and thrive within their families and communities