PROJECTS | Kenya (Wema) | Empowerment of Sexually Abused and Exploited Girls

The purpose of the Empowerment of Sexually Abused and Exploited Girls project is to reduce the sexual abuse and commercial exploitation of 400 girls living and working on the streets of Mombasa, Kenya through:

• increasing access to psychosocial rehabilitation services;
• improving their access to healthcare; and
• strengthening their capacity to understand their rights and the local community’s awareness of those rights.

Increasing access to the rehabilitation programme will be attained by the safe relocation of sexual abuse victims to the Wema 24-hour Rescue Centre for Care and Protection. At the centre, their basic needs will be met, such as food, clothes, formal and non-formal education, psychosocial support, recreation and reintegration into their families. Improving access to healthcare will include provision of the basic healthcare services at the Wema Dispensary and referrals to other established health institutions for specialised observation and treatment. Children’s capacity and community awareness to understand children’s rights will be strengthened by the provision of alternative livelihoods for the children, child-to-child mentoring and awareness campaigns to local community leaders and institutions to stop practices that subject children to sexual abuse and exploitation.

There will be increased access to rescue and rehabilitation services for 400 sexually abused and exploited girls per year allowing them to continue with their education and reintegrate into their families, thereby reducing the abuse and exploitation of children in Mombasa, Kenya. They will be able to make informed decisions to better their lives and will acquire practical skills for self-reliance. Healthcare and rehabilitation will also reduce incidences of sexually transmitted diseases among sexually exploited girls.

Activities

• Conduct psychological support for child victims of sexual abuse;
• Provide temporary shelter;
• Train children in basic counselling, mentoring and peer support;
• Provide medical support for child victims of sexual abuse;
• Train community leaders to address child sexual abuse;
• Provide food and clothing support;
• Provide skills training;
• Facilitate children to participate in sports and tournaments;
• Support abused children to continue with education;
• Relocate and reunify children with their families; and
• Produce quarterly Child Sex Workers Voice Newsletter and other campaign materials.

Target Group and Needs
The Kenyan coastal region is facing critical problems of child sexual exploitation. A UNICEF study carried out in 2006 indicates that there are 15,000 children involved in sex tourism of which 2000–3000 are full time commercial sex workers. The issue is compounded by the harsh socio-economic realities, which increase children’s vulnerability to sexual exploitation. These children experience frequent sexual and emotional abuse, and physical violence. They are forced into unsafe sex and become susceptible to contracting and spreading sexually transmitted diseases. Their health is poor; the majority have difficulty developing trust and present challenging behaviours such as drug abuse, indiscriminate sexual relations and violence. They suffer violence and discrimination from their clients, the community and law enforcement agencies leading to extreme social exclusion from mainstream society. Wema Centre, therefore, considers it a matter of priority to develop rescue and rehabilitation services targeting street children and children at risk, particularly girls, in Mombasa town and the surrounding slum areas involved in sex tourism or are likely to be attracted to the business.