Is there a balm in religion for the Triple Threat wounds of Mother Africa? -Exploring How the Circle is utilizing religious resources in promoting SRHR

The ‘Triple Threat problem’ of -teenage pregnancy, new HIV infection, and gender and sexual based violence among adolescents and young people still persist today as a septic wound for mother Africa. Intervention strategies such as provision of good quality services and timely as well as balanced information regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights have met a myriad of challenges. This is because such interventions come in the backdrop of religious and cultural rhetoric of taboo and stigma that masquerade as morality imperatives. While the opposition against Adolescents’ and young people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (referred to henceforth as AYSRHR) issues is very diverse, in many societies, religious rhetoric and beliefs are a frequently recurring barrier to acceptability and accessibility of essential AYSRH information and services. In Kenya, recent studies have suggested intentional involvement of religious leaders in discourses around AYSRHR in general as an intervention strategy. However, the role of religion in destigmatization and demythologization of anti-SRHR discourses have remained undertheorized. By utilizing Talitha cum hermeneutics of the Circle as a rhetorical criticism framework, this paper shall explore how Circle- Kenya is framing, producing, and disseminating religious public discourses and pedagogies that support the provision of AYSRHR essential services and information. It is hoped that this kind of study will contribute significantly to the body of knowledge on the role of religion in addressing the triple threat challenge of teenage pregnancy, new HIV infection, and gender and sexual-based violence among adolescents, as well as suggesting valuable localized pathways in attainment of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the global Sustainable Development Goals 3- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.