Reintegrate Street-Connected Children in Kitale

Families are travelling from one corner of the world to the other.. for holidays, familiy reunions, celebrations.. just but to name a few. Indeed lots of activities going on, lots of travelling and lots of flights.

At Child Rescue Kenya we are also planning to join a community that is left behind in these buzz of activities,- the street- connected children. We want to be there for them and with them in the season, we are thier familiy! 

Throughout the year we have been through alot together, in hospitals at difficult moments during family visits when hostilities were at the highest, we firmly stood together in times of brutality when the councils of security thought that getting rid of children from towns was the best thing, we protested and provided a voice of reason and said.. look there an alternative give us chance to work together.

Indeed we are appreciative to those who believed in our work donated their time and resources at least we have now over 150 children back safely into thier families from January 2016 up to now..

We are going to celebrate Chrismas with others in our care,,

Thanks for your continued support and we pray that you support us again by donating to our Chrimas appeal

Links:

• Chrimas Appeal

Child Rescue Kenya has continued to reunite lone children found in the streets of Kitale with thier families. Through the streetsmart program this year alone starting January to end of May 54 children were reffered to the Rescue centre from the streets. In the streets 40 children continued to access street based education of whom 5 have been enrolled for national examination and showing tremendous literacy improvements. They sat for examinations and given school report cards and this was very exciting. They felt like thier counterpats in the formal schools. 62 children were reunited with thier familes and retained at home and also went back to formal schools.

Amazingly despite all the efforts the number of the children and youth leaving and working in the streets of Kitale was 796( as per the head count report counted in July 2015 Railway Children in collaboration with Child Rescue Kenya). 247 were sleeping on the streets at night 60% being 15yrs and below.

These are shocking figures as more children continue coming to the streets the trend is worrying. The County government treats them as a menace that should be eradicated and this explains why they are subjected to inhuman treatment.  Child Rescue Kenya through the advocacy department continues to lobby the county the government to respect the rights of children and come up with initiatives that will adress their plight and sensitise communities to make deliberate efforts to stay with children at home, CRK has also liases with Child Protection Unit at the Police to secure a release of children often locked up with adults in same cells.

Child Rescue Kenya thinks of scaling up the work on the streets but constrained by resources, and so continues to appeal to those who care about the suffering  children go through to support  Child Rescue Kenya efforts.

Thank you again for your donations and support.

Links:

• http://www.childrescuekenya.org

In this parts of the world starting from the month of June to August many boys aged between 11 and 14 face the "CUT". Many young boys have preferred a street version of facing the CUT that is somehow easier that the traditional one.

The “CUT” locally known as “khukheba” is a traditional circumcision ceremony that involves the initiates to be moving around with metal wrist bands and bells, followed by huge crowds of people singing traditional songs.

The eve of the day that boy faces the “CUT” is an overnight ceremony that involves the boy ringing the bells to an ecstatic jeering crowd for the best part of the night, the boy has to endure all forms of obscenities and occasional slaps from uncles notwithstanding the enduring strain of ringing bells.   There is a lot of indulgence in the traditional local brew called “Busaa” by the crowd who are often very disorderly and rowdy. It all ends in the morning when the boy is socked in cold water and smeared with mud before being marched naked to face the knife.

It’s a harrowing experience for young boys who have to be taunted through the whole process christened as the way to manhood.

We have encountered many boys who decided to run away from home and do it on the streets. They live in an unhealthy conditions that sometimes leads to the wounds becoming septic, we have had 30 attending our street-smart program as we provide medical care.  

Unfortunately since they escaped the traditional route they are unwilling to return home for fear of the repercussions. We have rescued several and now on a truce brokering mission with parents hoping to reunite them.

Links:

• http://www.childrescuekenya.org/

Liyavo Chidren in the last three weeks has become an alternative home for children fleeing the streets who would have ended up being locked up in police cells in an apparent town " clean Up exercise". we are hosting by today about 30 children who we recieved and the number is likely to increase as the Investors' conferance nears.

The authorities are in up gear preparations for investors conferrance. More demolitions have been experienced and wanton arrests for town youths and children done. in the wake of these happenings children have had to run and so we are recieving them into our centre.

The centre has continued to reintergret children into their families  throught out 2015, Over 250 children were rescued from the streets to our centre and 137 children reintergrated and continue to be supported from the safety of thier families and relations.

We continue to thank our supporters for the noble work.

thank you.

Links:

• CRK/HOME

Rose (not her real name) first came to the streets in 2011 then aged 8 years after her parents separation due to alcohol abuse by her mother which resulted into the father relocation to Nairobi ( Kenya Capital)  with a new wife he had just married.

Due to lack of food and care; Rose decided to look for food in dumb sites in town with her siblings aged 6 years and 4 years. They would go to school in the morning, go to town after school and later go back home before dark, after some time stopped going to school completely and fully joined the streets

Child Rescue Kenya street outreach team spotted them and from interractions and follow up to their home it was established that they had no food, the mother was always drunk and would not care for them and the environment at home was extremely unconducive to children because in her drunken stupor she would entertain male guests in thier single room house in the presence of Rose and other children on occasions they came home.

Child Rescue Kenya through the government department of Children services rescued Rose and her other 2 siblings and placed them in our Liyavo Child Care centre and embarked on serious working with Rose's Mother to help her out of alcohol addiction and possible reunification of  the family.

Rose’s mother has undergone support to help her reduce drinking, she has tremendously improved and now Rose's Father occasionally visits her. The father has also been engaged by CRK's Family worker and has started to change his attitude towards his wife and promises to work hard to support his family.

In this remarkable improvement Child Rescue Kenya enrolled Rose in an informal skills school that is near her home and with constant support and visits they seem to be getting along well

Thank you so much for your continued support.