Kenya Street Children’s Project Report (May 2006)

BARAKA ZA IBRAHIM CHILDREN’S CENTER

The project has been progressing albeit a little slower than in 2005. We begun the year 2006 working closely with Baraka za Ibrahim Children’s Center in providing them with an English teacher for the first term to teach in the High School section beginning January to April 2006. The project also provided cleaning materials for the bathrooms, kitchens and classrooms and a few textbooks for use in the classes. The project continues to work closely with Baraka za Ibrahim Children’s Center.

NEEDS-ASSESSMENT SEMINARS

The project also held a three-day needs-assessment seminar in Kisumu, Kenya on the 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th of November 2005. The seminar brought together different organizations and individuals involved in child protection in Kisumu, known as stakeholders, to develop initiatives for removing children off the streets of Kisumu and to protect their human rights.

At the beginning of the seminar, one of the stakeholders, Pandpieri Catholic Children’s Center/Kisumu Urban Apostolate Programmes – Pandpieri, through its representative Susan A. Otieno, made a presentation on the situation of street children in Kisumu, Kenya. The paper she presented is available for your perusal.

The project also held a one-day needs-assessment seminar in Kakamega, Kenya on the 29^th of November 2005, also bringing together stakeholders involved in child protection in Kakamega, to develop initiatives for removing children off the streets of Kakamega and to protect their human rights.

Both the Kisumu and Kakamega seminars were held in partnership with the International Leadership Institute (ILI), Children’s Legal Action Network (CLAN) and the Children’s Department.

WAY FORWARD

The project’s coordinator will continue to work with Baraka za Ibrahim Children’s Center and the stakeholders identified to realize the common goal of getting children off the streets and protecting their human rights.