Children Kenya Project #11009

Reintegrate Street-Connected Children in Kitale

by Child Rescue Kenya

Summary

Child Rescue Kenya works with families and local authorities to support children living and working on the streets. We support them to return home and to secure safe and caring futures. Interventions such as our Street Smart drop-in centre, outreach by our social workers and our fun and interactive mobile school allow us to meet and develop bonds with children from difficult and impoverished home situations. We then work with the families to enable reintegration or placement in foster care.

$22,000
total goal

$3,436
remaining

122
donors

3
monthly donors

7
fundraisers

7
years

Challenge

Every month many children arrive in Kitale to begin a life on the streets. They are vulnerable to the risks of being part of a street community, where the toughest only, survive. Drugs, poor diet and abuse can erode the child's physical and mental health. The child is at risk of becoming just another statistic. Life expectancy on the street is just 16 years* CRK finds these children, often within hours of arriving, and offers them a 'safe haven'; a choice *Source 'The Daily Nation.

Solution

Providing a way to escape the pressures of surviving on the streets, they can evaluate their situation, seek advice and guidance, and resolve conflicts. In many cases, they choose to return home and CRK work with the families to ensure this is successful. Disease, conflict and poverty can leave some children with no functional family, CRK offers them a family, security, education and hope. Responsible adult care and guidance helps teach life skills and nurture abilities for the future.

Long-Term Impact

Away from marginal lives on the streets, the children develop into caring adults with the life and academic skills required to break the cycle of abject poverty and positively contribute to their society. They can be voices for a new generation of children, seeking change and demanding justice. Children we have helped now attend prestigious schools and universities, some have graduated to viable futures as nurses, laboratory technicians, mechanics, hairdressers, electricians and carpenters.