Brenda Etukei Meyer completed an MA in Advanced Child Protection at Kent in 2018. She now works as a Program Support Specialist in Kenya for the NGO Compassion International. Compassion International seeks to alleviate social, economic, spiritual and cognitive challenges that lead to poverty among children and young people in low-income families. Brenda’s role involves designing and providing end-to-end portfolio management of partner implementation of in-country grants projects.
What attracted you to the MA in Advanced Child Protection at the University of Kent?
The University of Kent was a major stepping stone in my career. In 2014 I was looking for a university that would help me grow in my passion for working with vulnerable children who had experienced abuse and exploitation. I also desired to expand the highly vulnerable children program I was working on to encompass other areas of protection. Kent’s MA in Advanced Child Protection provided the skills and knowledge that I believed would help me achieve these goals. In addition, unlike other universities, the course at Kent’s Centre for Child Protection was more detailed and provided simulations which helped me to know how best to work with different children in need of protection. The course also moved beyond incidence reporting to macro and micro systematic challenges which I found helpful in building a child protection strategy for our organisation.
My work assignment provided the required work experience which I was able to share with my supervisor consistently while I was working on my project. At the time, I was providing support to more than 300 partners in Kenya. We were working to help build a referral system that will ensure they are able to address the cases of abuse effectively. This referral system is still in place and has supported more than 340 children surviving abuse and exploitation to receive medical, psychosocial, and legal support.
You have a wealth of experience working in the NGO sector, and internationally, which role has been your favourite and why?
I have enjoyed working in the NGO sector. My passion has consistently been working with vulnerable children. My favourite role has always been having the opportunity to use my skills and knowledge to find ways of protecting children and young people from becoming more vulnerable. My role as a Child Protection Specialist was quite engaging and I found it very enjoyable especially when I saw the lives of children living in abuse and exploitation transformed. One instance is where we held an anti-FGM campaign. We were privileged to rescue and prevent more than 26 girls from going through FGM. My current role is also very fulfilling as I get to raise resources for the same so that they can be protected from further vulnerabilities.
Could you describe a typical day in your current role as Program Supports Specialist at Compassion International?
My current role involves identifying the needs of vulnerable children and young people supported by our partners. Based on the needs identified, I work with the partners to design best-fit interventions, after which I develop these interventions into grants projects. Our marketing teams in different countries help to market this project for funding. Once funded, I support the partners to implement this training through training, financing, and putting up sustainability measures. Basically, on a daily basis, I provide end-to-end project management to each of the projects we envision from design, implementation to evaluation/closure. Currently, I am handling about 35 projects of this nature, all at different phases of implementation
What are your future aspirations? How do you see your career progressing?
My desire is to coach organisations to start and expand their programs to meet the needs of vulnerable children and young people. My focus has always been to find ways to give a voice to all children and young people and to advocate for their needs to be met in a sustainable fashion.
What advice would you offer someone interested in working in the NGO sector?
Continuous learning is key to growing in the NGO sector. Since there is no ‘one size fits all’ when dealing with people, especially in this sector, the need to connect to universities that offer research-based learning is key to contributing to industry practices.
How would you describe your time at Kent in three words?
Empowering, refreshing, and strategic
Anything else you would like to add or tell our students?
Every lesson learned should keenly be followed with practice. The world is waiting for people who can change their current circumstances. You may have the key to someone’s transformation.
Learn more about studying an MA in Advanced Child Protection at Kent’s Centre for Child Protection:
- This distance learning programme, which runs on a part-time basis for two or more years, is for experienced professionals
- The programme is fully accredited by the University of Kent and delivered by experts at the Centre for Child Protection
- The programme gives a 360-degree perspective on child protection, introducing you to the viewpoints of academics, practitioners, organisations, parents, children and young people, integrated with contemporary research theory and policy
- The impact that technology has on protecting children, as well as the effect of the globalisation of the abuse and exploitation of vulnerable children, is considered throughout
- Apply now to begin your studies in January 2022