" In Our Right Minds" BOOK by Dale Allen • International Bestseller

In Our Right Minds Award-Winning FILM

The girls and women must go to the lake to get food for themselves and their families. There, they are vulnerable, as the fisherman deal in fish for sex. Evans Nyesi is effectively changing this dynamic - freeing the women and the men from hazardous and hurtful paradigms.
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Evans Onyango Nyesi is is the founder and Team Leader of The Tikvah Center, a registered faith-based community organization in Siaya-Kenya, dedicated to holistic development and community empowerment.
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Through his diverse roles and expertise, Evans Onyango Nyesi actively contributes to advancing sustainable development, human rights, and the vital role of faith-based initiatives in addressing societal challenges.

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Dear Dale,
I hope the year is going on well with you so far... I was greatly thrilled by your perspectives on the healing energy of the sacred feminine during the Omnia's Patriarchy meeting late last year.

One way of making sure the year continues to go well is by working more on detoxifying masculinity and transforming men to have a healthy masculinity that enhances the flourishing women and girls. This is one of our key activities line up for 2024 and into the future.

I am very worried about scriptural interpretations and cultural norms that legitimizes oppression and cages people into delusional boxes. I know you are too. The ease with which our religious and traditional leaders endorse marginalizing norms results in the horrific stigma, and women and girls bear the greatest brunt.

While some argue that all religions have been flawed from the very beginning, I hold the view that some people have managed to twist the doctrines, using religion for their own advantage throughout history.

This is evident in the interplay among patriarchy, gender and religion where it has confined gender roles and upheld specific gender expectations. But i also know that religion has historically contributed to psychosocial support as a meaningful source of values and practices critical to healing and well-being. Such insights shed light on the ways religious doctrines and rituals can offer avenues for gender expression and authentic healthy living,
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As The Tikvah Centre, we wanted to find a way to shift this mindset so that our community and religious leaders would prioritize just and non-stigmatizing solutions to the pain caused by dis-empowering teachings by cultural and religious fundamentalists.

I am passionate about this work because I would like to create for my two children and millions of others a better world to live and thrive. Research has proved that embracing equity and justice, will unlock the full potential of half the population, leading to greater innovation, economic growth, and social progress.

Recognizing the precious space occupied by religion and religious leaders in Kenya as well as the potential for progress and/or regress in scriptural (mis)interpretations, I am convinced that integrating religion in championing gender equality and women's empowerment, reproductive health justice and climate action (which has a huge impact on women and girls) would go a long way in building a more sustainable, inclusive, just, and prosperous world for all.

Evans

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