This project will provide emergency support to at least 300 victims of severe child abuse every month. Childline Kenya provides a 24-hour helpline for children to report abuse and receive counselling. However, sometimes telephone counselling is not enough and a more direct and immediate intervention is necessary. Children need to be rescued from their abusers, they need to be provided with a safe environment and they need access to medical care, education, legal and psychological support.
Child abuse continues to be a widespread problem in Kenya. Through the Childline 116, a 24-hour toll-free telephone helpline for children, Childline Kenya receives over 2,000 calls every day from children and provides counselling and information to around 300 victims of child abuse every month. Currently, Childline Kenya rescues between 3 and 5 child abuse victims every month, but many more rescue missions would be required, particularly in more remote areas of the country.
Once the helpline counsellor establishes that a child is under immediate threat of being abused, urgent and instant action is required. As a first step, the child will be rescued from the abuser and brought to a safe shelter. Medical and psychological support may be required. Depending on how the case is resolved, further costs may be incurred for court suits, school fees or alternative care/ facilitated family reunification measures.
Childline Kenya would like to continue offering emergency response services in addition to the services of the telephone helpline. We will set up a child helpline endowment fund to provide for emergency response related costs. We will be able to provide 300 child abuse victims with the support they need at the time they need it the most every month. Your contributions will make a difference to the lives of these children by ensuring their safety and restoring their health and dignity.
