Protection Services for 100 Rural Kenyan Children

Day 1 (13th April)
The week opened with a prayer, welcoming remarks, and an introduction of the Nafasi Program. Learners elected weekly student leaders (President, Vice President, and two Governors) and took part in icebreaker activities followed by a self-drawing exercise in which they described themselves. Through this, learners practiced emotional expression and shared personal interests such as church participation and farming, helping facilitators better understand each learner's background. The afternoon included indoor games and individual counseling sessions. 

Day 2 (14th April)
The day began with a Kuku Dance icebreaker, followed by reflective activities encouraging learners to think about challenges affecting them at home, school, church, and in the community. Through the Animal Identity exercise, learners associated qualities such as strength and leadership (lion) or humility and calmness (cat) with themselves, while the Dream Hill activity had learners draw hills and valleys representing their challenges, dreams, and available resources. Facilitators introduced children's rights and responsibilities, the Triple B concept (Believe – Behave – Become), and the idea of fear as "False Evidence Appearing Real." Outdoor football activities reinforced discipline and teamwork, and individual counseling continued in the afternoon.

Day 3 (15th April)
Learners were divided into two age groups (11–12 and 13–15 years) for a session on Life Skills Education, introducing the three categories of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and decision-making skills. The focus was on self-awareness — talents, strengths, weaknesses, and emotions — with learners identifying talents such as football, singing, dancing, and athletics. Guided by self-reflection questions ("Who am I? Where did I come from? Where do I want to go? What steps am I taking?"), learners also explored the social, spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of human development. Creative adjective activities further supported self-confidence and identity exploration, followed by afternoon counseling and recreation.

Day 4 (16th April)
The session introduced peer pressure, sources of peer influence, and the difference between positive and negative peer pressure, alongside assertiveness skills (passive, aggressive, and assertive communication) and the values of integrity, confidence, and calm communication. The learner remains motivated and active in football. Afternoon sessions included counseling and games.

Day 5 (17th April)
The week concluded with remarks from student leaders reporting positive engagement, followed by group presentations of key lessons learned and a coloring activity to promote relaxation. The week closed with facilitator remarks and a closing prayer.

Since April 2025, we have been implementing Nafasi, a safe space initiative designed to provide children in lural Kenya with a secure and supportive environment during school holidays. The program was conducted three times—in April, August, and November—and concluded its 2025 cycle in November.

To better understand the impact of Nafasi and gather feedback from the community, we have initiated an endline survey.

The endline survey includes:

1.Interviews with parents of participating children, teachers from their schools, community volunteers, and other stakeholders

2.Additional therapy sessions for children identified as needing further counseling support

1. Stakeholder Interviews

We conducted interviews with various stakeholders, who shared valuable insights into the changes and growth observed in the children throughout the Nafasi program, as well as suggestions for future improvements.

In particular, feedback from parents highlighted significant positive changes:

•“My child used to come home late, but now comes straight home after Nafasi started.”

•“They stopped associating with negative peer groups.”

•“They have become more motivated to study.”

These voices strongly suggest that Nafasi has contributed to preventing risky behavior and encouraging children to work toward a brighter future.

 2. Additional Therapy Sessions

We also provided additional therapy sessions for children who were identified during earlier counseling (April–November) as needing continued care.

The sessions began with group activities using balloons and bubbles as part of therapeutic engagement. Physical movement is known to help relieve stress, and the children participated joyfully with smiles on their faces.

 The therapy was conducted by local professional counselors, who worked carefully and attentively with each child, dedicating sufficient time to individual support.

 As a closing activity, the children created their own “SAFE PLACE” using flowers, grass, and tree branches, expressing positive emotions such as “calm” and “excited.”

 Through these enjoyable activities and approximately one hour of counseling per child over two days, the children were able to safely express a wide range of emotions.

It was especially memorable that the sessions concluded in a way that allowed the children to leave with positive feelings.