CHILD PROTECTION IN KENYA October 2012 - March 2013 Report
Prepared July 2013
CHILD PROTECTION Program Update In Kenya, community members are embracing their role in protecting vulnerable children and ensuring that those who have been abused receive help. Local leaders are supporting girls who want an alternative to the harmful practice of female genital mutilation. And construction is moving ahead on facilities at our target schools. The Child Protection Program’s multiple aims of raising awareness, helping victims, and giving children improved learning environments are being achieved because of you and your loving, generous support.
GOALS The goal of World Vision’s Child Protection Program in Kenya is to transform communities so they are able to prevent, identify, and respond to cases of female genital mutilation, early marriage, child labor, and other forms of abuse and neglect, while increasing access of vulnerable children to safe, protective education opportunities. Our expected outcomes are: • The protective environment for 20 percent of children at risk of violence and abuse in five Area Development Programs (ADPs) will be strengthened by 2015. • Utilization of critical care services for child protection will increase by 15 percent in five ADPs by 2015. • Access to restoration services for children who have suffered abuse will increase by 20 percent in five ADPs by 2015.
PROGRAM PROGRESS During the first half of fiscal year 2013 (October 2012 through March 2013), communities made great strides in responding to cases of abuse and becoming empowered to protect vulnerable children. More than 40 children were rescued from labor, sexual abuse, or early marriage through the efforts of local advisory councils, child officers, and community volunteers, while 150 girls completed an alternative rite of passage, rather than being forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM). Through community forums, thousands of people were reached with messages about child protection, and youth clubs taught important life skills to more than 600 children and adolescents. Much progress was made on the school facility construction work being done through the program.
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PROGRAM BASELINE A baseline survey of our current program areas—comprising four ADPs—was completed this year. The results are critical because they identify and/or confirm needs in our communities that we can address through program activities and help us stay aligned with our targets through the life of the program. Key issues covered by the survey that we are working to address include: • Low primary-school enrollment • High-school dropout rates • Early marriage • Illiteracy • Birth registration Responding to key issues We will use community conversations to address low primary-school enrollment—helping parents, tribal leaders, and community members understand the benefits of educating their children, including girls. Improved primary-school facilities will help to draw quality teachers, and the combination of enhanced facilities and engaged educators will motivate children and their families to invest in children’s education. Addressing high-school dropout rates is a main aim of our program’s systems-strengthening activities. This is occurring through public awareness, education, and mobilization on child labor, FGM, child marriage, and other incidents that cause children to leave school. As with primary schools, improved high-school facilities will help to draw quality teachers and motivate children and their families to engage in education. The program will increase its emphasis on the dangers of early marriage. We will work with village elders, chiefs, and others to influence current practices and stimulate community dialogue on this issue. To increase literacy rates, the program will provide reading materials, enlist volunteers, and conduct learning camps where children can read together. In addressing high-school retention and dropout rates, the program will aim indirectly to impact literacy levels—by ensuring that children enroll in school, stay in school, and so achieve all academic requirements necessary to attain a high-school diploma. World Vision will facilitate birth registration for those having difficulty accessing those services. The importance of registering—which includes establishing a child’s existence before the law and ensuring access to services—will be addressed in community discussions.
SEMIANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTS
150 GIRLS WERE SPARED FROM FGM And instead took part in an alternative rite of passage, with support from their parents, teachers, and community leaders
© 2012 World Vision
621 CHILDREN WERE TAUGHT LIFE SKILLS Including the dangers of drug use, HIV prevention, and the importance of developing good values
4,650 COMMUNITY MEMBERS LEARNED About child protection issues and how to respond to abuse, thanks to forums conducted by local leaders
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Students work together to list positive values during a life-skills training session in the Matete ADP.
KENYA 1
4 2
3
LEGEND CHILD PROTECTION ADPS
Nairobi
CAPITAL CITY
1
MAJOR CITY
2
PROVINCE OR DISTRICT BOUNDARY
ACTIVITIES
3 4
LOKORI MARICH PASS MATETE SOOK
Following are highlights from the first half of fiscal 2013 for the four ADPs in which the program is operating.
Child protection councils and officers
A Circle of Care for Children Community meetings on child protection have helped people understand their role as partners in caring for children. Margaret Sakaya, a volunteer children’s officer in Matete explained: “A majority of the community members are starting to appreciate the need to take their children to school and not to subject them in child labor. These days, if a community member sees a child working in the sugar plantations he/ she will report to us or the chiefs. This positive response toward child protection has been very helpful. In November 2012, we were able to reinstate a child to school who had been subjected to child labor through the support of the community, provincial administration, and the district education office.”
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• Advisory councils have been created at local levels, pursuant to Kenya’s law that established a national rights protection framework for children. World Vision has trained advisory council members to help prevent child abuse and neglect, provide child protection services, and advocate on children’s issues. • Council members, in turn, have trained volunteer children’s officers in the communities—a total of 64 in the first half of fiscal 2013. Council members work with the volunteers as well as local children’s officers to raise community awareness about child protection and handle reported cases of abuse. • Through the efforts of the council members, volunteers, and children’s officers, 36 children were rescued from child labor, four children were rescued from sexual abuse and provided with medical care and counseling, two children were rescued from situations involving early marriage and child labor and received help returning to school, and one child was rescued from early marriage. • Advisory councils have formed theme-focused committees on the issues of FGM, child labor, early marriage, and children with disabilities. In Marich Pass, an anti-FGM committee helped four girls who went through FGM receive medical care and also reported the occurrence to the police. The perpetrators were arrested and prosecuted in court. As a result, community members have a heightened awareness of the consequences of practicing FGM.
• In Lokori, the committee that focuses on care of children with disabilities held a forum attended by 71 community members. Discussions emphasized the vulnerability of these children to exploitation, discrimination, stigmatization, and neglect. As a result a 12-member group was formed to address issues affecting children with disabilities.
© 2013 World Vision
• 4,650 community members were reached with messages about child protection through events organized by local leaders. Program staff report that community members are showing a willingness to report cases of child abuse and work with other stakeholders on child protection issues.
In February, work began on the construction of two classrooms at Morpus primary school in the Marich Pass ADP. The head teacher at the school and the Marich Pass manager were on site with the workers.
Description of Activity
School improvements The chart below provides an update on construction of school facilities. There has been some delay due to the Kenyan national elections and heavy rains, but the program is working with contractors to move forward, with the aim of completing the projects on schedule.
Progress as of March 31, 2013
Sook ADP Construction of a158-bed dormitory at St. Catherine girls school Construction of 8 classrooms and an administration block at Tipet primary school Construction of 2 blocks of 6-door ventilated improved pit toilets at Tipet primary school
x x x x
Completed casting of strip foundation for wing A and blinding for wing B Currently working on substructure walling for wing A and foundation footing for wing B Completed excavation and leveling of the foundation Progress hindered by lack of materials due to poor road network and rains
x x
Completed excavations of pit for 1 block Excavation for the second block is ongoing; materials are being supplied to the site
x
Completed casting of the slab for the classrooms and the ground beams for the dormitory Working on hardcore filling for the dormitory and setting out superstructure walling for the classes Casting of columns completed Working on the ground beams and filling of hardcore to the floor slab Building materials have been delivered to site, e.g., machine-cut masonry stones, ballast, reinforcement bars, and other assorted materials Contractor has signed the acceptance letter Waiting for preparation of the contract for signing at the World Vision National Office in Kenya Contractor has signed the acceptance letter Waiting for preparation of the contract for signing at the World Vision National Office in Kenya
Marich Pass ADP Construction of a 92-bed dormitory and 2 classrooms at Morpus primary school
x Construction of two 92-bed dormitories at St. Elizabeth girls school
x x x
Construction of a dining hall at St. Elizabeth girls school
x x
Construction of a library at St. Elizabeth girls school
x x
Lokori ADP Construction of 8 classrooms, an administration block, and 2 staff units at Katilia primary school
x x
Completed excavation and leveling of the foundation Currently placing reinforcements for the foundation footing and supplying construction materials to the site
x x
Completed substructure walling Placing of hardcore for the slab ongoing
x x x x
Completed excavation of the foundations Currently preparing reinforcements for the strip foundation footing Completed substructure walling Placing of hardcore for the slab ongoing
Matete ADP Construction of twin ECDE (early childhood development education) classrooms at Shitavita nursery school Construction of twin ECDE classrooms at Kewa nursery school Construction of twin ECDE classrooms at Nambalayi primary school
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© 2013 World Vision
Life skills for youth
Teachers gather in the town of Kakamega for training in how they can help establish and guide life-skills programs for children in their schools.
The program is supporting the creation and strengthening of youth clubs that emphasize life skills. Areas of focus include the dangers of drug use, preventing HIV, establishing good values, and socialization. These 59 clubs cover 97 primary and 11 secondary schools. A total of 621 children have acquired knowledge about positive behavior and discipline, which will enable them to respond more responsibly to challenges and choices they face in life. More than 350 youth ages 9 to 18 learned to be peer educators, able to share lessons with other youth. A total of 135 teachers were trained to facilitate life-skills education and youth clubs.
Child protection training for the community Eighty-five community members learned the importance of community policing and channels for reporting child abuse. These individuals are supporting children who become victims. They also are advocating in churches about the importance of caring for children and allowing children to participate in decisions affecting their lives. In Marich Pass, the actions of community members and local organizations resulted in 150 girls participating in a rite of passage that was an alternative to FGM. The girls learned about family life and life skills and, in a public ceremony, were recognized for their passage into adulthood. But they avoided the genital cutting. Government officials, chiefs, local leaders, and others attended a graduation ceremony at which the girls performed songs about FGM and the pain and suffering it causes. They also sang: “Our parents, teachers, and leaders save us from FGM.”
Child protection training for paralegals and police The program helped build the capacity of 37 paralegals, whose role is to support the handling of child abuse cases and make community members aware of the penalties for abusing a child. In Matete, paralegals have collaborated with advisory council members to develop a list of partners who will assist in addressing child protection issues. Five police officers and 67 local chiefs and assistant chiefs were equipped with skills and information about their roles in child protection.
Training for health workers and faith leaders The program provided capacity-building training for 91 health workers and 34 faith leaders. These efforts centered on the benefits of birth registration, advocating against child abuse, and proper ways to collect and preserve evidence in cases of abuse.
Educational support for children The program provided school fee subsidies to 58 children (43 from Marich Pass and 15 from Matete). In Lokori, 220 children received geometry sets (supplies) and calculators. Thirteen girls in Marich Pass who graduated from vocational training received sewing machines. 5
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NEXT STEPS
During the third quarter of fiscal 2013 (April through June), the program plans to: • Support assemblies, parliaments, clubs, and committees that help children raise issues affecting them and give voice to their concerns • Create and reinforce youth clubs, focusing on life skills • Assist with community awareness meetings on children’s rights and parenting skills • Help ensure legal aid in cases of child abuse • Encourage community dialogue on foster and kinship care • Partner in forums that seek to improve reporting in cases of child abuse • Build the capacity of community members to connect child abuse victims and their families to helplines and referral services • Support the work of volunteer children’s officers • Build the capacity of local advisory councils to fulfill their roles • Train law enforcement personnel on child-friendly methods for handling child abuse cases
A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR FAITH
Faith Chemtai, 16, from Yualateke in the Marich Pass ADP was admitted to the Propoi Girls Secondary School. But her father did not want her to go. Instead he wanted Faith to undergo FGM and be married, which is what Faith said happened to her sisters. “Educating a girl is inviting poverty in the family,” Faith’s father declared.
© 2013 World Vision
But then Faith’s father received a visit from a World Vision child protection officer, a community volunteer, a chief, and a police official who focuses on gender issues. The group spoke with Faith’s father about the benefits of an education and convinced him to let his daughter attend school. Faith is now studying at the secondary level and has been able to avoid FGM. She will participate in an alternative rite of passage later, during a school holiday.
Faith is attending secondary school now, after World Vision and community leaders convinced the girl’s father to let her pursue her education.
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Visited at school, Faith said, “I want to be a lawyer in the future so that I can fight for children’s rights.” Faith thanked World Vision for intervening in her case and stopping her father from marrying her off. She has promised to work hard in school and make her father and the community proud, so they can see the importance of educating a girl. “My future is bright and I’m going to work very hard in my studies,” Faith said.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SUMMARY Program-to-Date Spending
Activity Description Prevent and Protect Restore Quality Assurance Management and Fundraising TOTAL
Life-of-Program Budget
Spending Rate
357,273
2,941,586
12%
123,919
469,207
26%
33,683
238,755
14%
171,625
1,216,516
14%
686,500
4,866,064
14%
Amounts for Prevent and Protect are combined to emphasize that the activities are closely connected at the community level. The figures under Program-to-Date Spending are based on the most recent financial report received from our field partners. The figures under Life-of-Program Budget are based on the original cost estimates received from our field partners. World Vision included estimates for Quality Assurance as well as Management and Fundraising.
PROGR AM SPENDING Activity
Prevent and/or Protect
Activity Description
Fiscal Year-to-
Program-to-
Life-of-Program
Date Spending
Date Spending
Budget
The protective environment for 20 percent of children at risk of violence and abuse in North Rift will be strengthened by 2015.
114,330
171,320
2,419,234
40,779
78,961
165,174
8,615
8,615
2,163,905
64,936
83,744
90,155
161,117
185,953
522,352
ADPs by 2015.
96,919
121,755
267,945
Referral mechanisms for child abuse will be strengthened in five ADPs by 2015.
64,198
64,198
254,407
56,673
123,919
469,207
23,929
89,881
232,659
Functional formal and informal community-based child protection mechanisms will be in place in five Area Development Programs (ADPs) by 2015. Access to child-friendly schools will be increased in five ADPs by 2015. Life-skills programs for children in and out of school will be established in five ADPs by 2015. Prevent and/or Protect
Utilization of critical care services for child protection will increase by 15 percent in North Rift by 2015. Reporting mechanisms for child abuse will be established or strengthened in five
Access to restoration services for children who have suffered abuse Restore
will increase by 20 percent by 2015. Access to educational opportunities for children recovering from sexual abuse will be improved in five ADPs by 2015. Access to psychosocial support for children recovering from sexual abuse will be improved in five ADPs by 2015.
-
-
67,019
suffered abuse will be established in five ADPs by 2015.
32,744
34,038
169,529
332,120
481,192
3,410,793
23,248
33,683
238,755
Management and Fundraising
118,456
171,625
1,216,516
Total
473,824
686,500
4,866,064
Subtotal Quality Assurance
P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 www.worldvision.org World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.
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KEN13FECCFR-CP_FY13semi_swsw_6.28.13 © 2013 World Vision, Inc.
Community-based mechanisms to support integration of children who have
