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The Orphans and Vulnerable Children Rights Development Project
aims to promote and protect the rights of 2,050 orphans and children most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in Western Kenya; and to create a society in which orphans and vulnerable children's rights are understood and respected, and in which they have opportunities to advance their livelihoods. These aims will be achieved through:
- improving access to basic education and protection to 2,000 children;
- strengthening community social protection and care capacity to provide shelter, food, healthcare and protection;
- empowering orphans and vulnerable youngsters by supporting vocational training and providing toolkits for those who have successfully completed their courses to enable them find work or become self employed.
Western Kenya has a total of 800,000 orphans and vulnerable children with some primary schools registering over 50% of the total number of children enrolled as orphans. Associated effects and abuses are forcing at least 3 out of 5 children to live or work on streets in urban centres where they experience extreme hardship, abuse and poverty.
Some of the results of the project will be: improved access to basic needs to 90% of targeted children, specifically in education, health, shelter food and protection; reduced number of children moving to streets due to impact of HIV/AIDS by 70%; improved local capacity to provide effective and efficient services to 2,000 orphans and street children; and increased dignity and self reliance of vulnerable youngsters.
ACTIVITIES
- Consult and assess the needs and aspirations of orphans and vulnerable children;
- Provide psychological care, legal advice/support, school uniforms, and examination fees to 2,000 homeless and migrating orphans, street children and children who are heads of households;
- Ensure orphaned children are involved in community activities through play; e.g. participating in local festivals, sports activities, etc.
- Empower young people (orphans and destitute) by supporting vocational training and purchasing toolkits for those who have successfully completed their courses.
- Raise awareness on entitlement and rights of children; educating 1,300 women and community members in weekly village meetings;
- Support poor women guardians in micro enterprise development;
- Train programme staff and community volunteers in child rights and protection;
- Place orphaned vulnerable children under community care.
TARGET GROUP & NEEDS
The programme targets orphans who are heads of households, living on streets, living with disabilities, and working and/or living with older people and street children. There are 800,000 orphans and vulnerable children in the region; most of these children do not have access to education, family care, and emotional support and migrate to streets or move from place to place looking for work, food and shelter. These children are subject to harsh living conditions, grow up too fast and lose their childhood as well as access to both formal and informal education. Girls are mostly affected as they are sexually exploited at an early age. Some children have lost property through property grabbing by relatives who leave them without any source of livelihood.
The centre will provide basic needs and facilitate social protection directly to 2,050 children per year and indirectly to 4,200 children.
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