By Louise Keys | Rafiki Mwema Outreach Program
What is the Outreach Program?
Rafiki Mwema is a refuge for Kenyan girls and boys.
Our girls, who are survivors of sexual violence, live with us for protection and care while their cases go through the courts. Due to cultural attitudes that place the blame on the victim, it’s not safe for them to remain living in their villages and communities where they are at risk of further harm.
How does it work for boys?
Our boys come to us after surviving the horrors of living alone on the streets. These boys have been beaten, abused and used as sexual objects by both men and women. Their trust has been violated over and over, and they are some of the most complex and damaged children we have met.
While living with us, our children receive expert therapeutic care to help them recover from their trauma.
A safe, loving family
We believe that the best place for children is within a safe, nurturing and loving family environment.
When it’s safe to do so, we find our children safe, loving homes to return to within their immediate family, or with a relative or guardian. It’s only when no safe home in the community can be found that our children remain living with us.
Our mission
Our outreach program is critical to ensuring our children’s safety and wellbeing until adulthood. Our team achieves this by:
A Rafiki child is for life
We support our children until they are 18 by visiting them at their homes every week, fortnight or month.
It’s a huge task but critical to their health, wellbeing and safety.
We repair broken minds and hearts by reconnecting families and supporting them as they learn to build healthy relationships.
Family connection
Our outreach team does all they can to trace family members when our boys express a wish to reconnect. Once we find them, our team assesses how safe it is for our boys to have contact. We then work hard to rebuild relationships, starting with visits or telephone calls. Developing a healthy connection with their families contributes to the healing process for our boys. It helps them repair their sense of belonging and identity, and begin to trust again.
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