The mountain journal
The move to phase out children centres in the country has received support with stakeholders lauding integrating the children with their families.
Go Economic Empowerment Program (GEEP) Kenya, an organization dealing with vulnerable children, orphans and young people has training to guardians and parents of vulnerable children, on how to empower them economically and nutrition to strengthen them on how to care for their children.
A member of GEEP Kenya, Ms Evans Mungai said there was need to train the community in care of the young who have been in destitute centres. The National Care Reform Strategy for Children in Kenya, a policy by the government, the children’s homes will be phased out in 10 years’ thus need to train the community on how best to integrate the young ones.
The Care Reforms programme undertaken by a Dubai based 20- month child project dubbed –Legacy for children in Kenya, has been implemented in the counties of Murang’a, Kiambu and Meru involving the partners to make the venture successful.
Mungai said they are working closely with the children department to ensure that families are strengthened in terms of food security and ability to take care of their children, discouraging caring children in children homes.
In Murang’a county, the child project is being implemented by three stakeholders namely Catholic diocese of Murang’a, Stahili Foundation and GEEP where each partner has its own pillar to implement.
At Gatunyu, in Gatanga Sub county , GEEP Kenya, dealing with vulnerable children, orphans and young people conducted met guardians and parents of vulnerable children empowering them economically and nutrition to strengthen them on how to care for their children.
Photo/ GEEP Kenya officials training parents and guardians of children on how to use kitchen garden. in Gatunyu area, Gatanga, Murang’a County
Mungai on the legacy project said nutrition of the family members was a key element thus training the parents on urban farming
On training them about nutrition, parents are trained on urban farming due to scarcity of lands. They are shown how to manage kitchen gardens, vertical gardens to produce their own foods to enable them to have enough food. Also are trained on how to access government enterprise funds like hustler funds to boost their small enterprises.
Photo/ GEEP Kenya officials training parents and guardians of children on how to use kitchen garden.
“There are several stakeholder meetings where the parents and guardians are trained on care for the children and on how to access funding from the government,” said Mungai.
Faith Nduta Ndung’u-a programme manager at Geep Kenya said training Guardians and parents on food security is crucial to ensure the children get
balanced diet.
“ They are also trained no
how they can access funding from the
government programmes among other crucial services for the interest of the children,’ said Ndung’u.
In Kenya it is estimated there are 45,000 children accommodated in 845 centres, with another 1,200 in government institutions among them rehabilitation, remand and rescue centres.
In the strategy, the government expects to join the children with their families as eight of 10 have biological parents or extended families that, if supported, can live with them.
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