Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children in partnership with Save the Children implemented a six year project: – Child Rights Governance (2011-2013) and Child-Friendly Budgets (2014-2016) project that addresses Children’s Rights holistically, with an emphasis on articles 12, 3 and 4 of the UNCRC. The goal of the project was to enhance the realisation of children’s rights through strengthening duty bearer capacity and accountability, as well as child participation. The project build on the lessons learned in previous sectoral projects (education, child protection, WASH).
The project will directly reached 9600 children (4800 boys, 4800 girls) in five counties i.e. Siaya, Kakamega, Kwale, Mombasa and Wajir – who are members in child rights (CR) clubs in approximately 20 schools or communities per county. Through policy advocacy and capacity development, Kenyan children country-wide benefited from increasingly effective, child-centered and accountable governing practices. Other children in the target schools (72000 in total) indirectly benefit through learning from their peers in the child rights clubs. In addition 1,000 adults, including parents, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and School Management Committee (SMC) members, opinion leaders, Provincial Child Rights Network (PCRN) and Area Advisory Council (AAC) members were targeted directly.
Child Rights Governance project aims at building a society that respects, protects and fulfils children’s rights. It is an effective strategy for impacting on children’s lives at a larger scale, resulting in structural and therefore lasting change. The two main components were:
- Ensuring responsive government performance, transparency of decision-making and robust accountability mechanisms for the realization of children’s rights.
- Supporting an active and well organized civil society in support of children’s rights as an important counterpart and counterbalance to governmental action.
The project outcomes were:-
- Improved capacity & accountability of duty bearers to fulfil child rights in Kenya;
- Kenyan boys and girls influence decisions that affect their lives.
KAACR in partnership with Save the Children through Canada International Development Agency (CIDA) grant participated in a five year (2011 – 2016) Children Lead the Way project given its past experience in advocating for children rights through various child participation initiatives but with specific reference the SCREAM Network and the knowledge gained from MV Foundation, India on Child Labour Free Zones through partnership with Stop Child Labour Campaign International.
KAACR is a network agency, that has taken a leading role among the NGO Community in Kenya in advocating on inclusion of children’s rights s in the reform process that has resulted in a section of children being realized on the chapter on Fundamental Rights in the current Constitution of Kenya.
KAACR worked towards the goal of securing the rights of girls and boys to protection, education, survival and health in Kenya through two pronged objectives that contributed to sustainability of the project through capacity building and life skills promotion by understanding and practicing meaningful child participation by partners, children and communities in the three focus Sub-Countes – Naivasha, Thika and Meru.
The objectives were: -
- To advocate for creation of awareness on the National Child Protection Framework (policies and legislations) in Kenya in relation to children in need of special protection especially working children and children affected by HIV/AIDS
- To build the capacity of the implementing partners of Children Lead the Way on children rights, child participation and creation of Child labour free zones
The Outcomes realized were: -
- Increased knowledge of policy makers on need to address the situation of working children
- Increased collaboration among partners working for and with working children
- Increased discourse and discussion at national level on strategies for addressing situation of working children
- Enactment of policies and review/incorporation of child-focused legislations
- Increased capacity of children agencies on working to address the plight of working children from the project areas
- Increased meaningful participation of children (girls and boys) in informing policies and programs for working children
- Establishment of at least two Child Labour Free Villages in the target districts
Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children in partnership with Save the Children implemented a six year project: – Child Rights Governance (2011-2013) and Child-Friendly Budgets (2014-2016) project that addresses Children’s Rights holistically, with an emphasis on articles 12, 3 and 4 of the UNCRC. The goal of the project was to enhance the realisation of children’s rights through strengthening duty bearer capacity and accountability, as well as child participation. The project build on the lessons learned in previous sectoral projects (education, child protection, WASH).
The project will directly reached 9600 children (4800 boys, 4800 girls) in five counties i.e. Siaya, Kakamega, Kwale, Mombasa and Wajir – who are members in child rights (CR) clubs in approximately 20 schools or communities per county. Through policy advocacy and capacity development, Kenyan children country-wide benefited from increasingly effective, child-centered and accountable governing practices. Other children in the target schools (72000 in total) indirectly benefit through learning from their peers in the child rights clubs. In addition 1,000 adults, including parents, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and School Management Committee (SMC) members, opinion leaders, Provincial Child Rights Network (PCRN) and Area Advisory Council (AAC) members were targeted directly.
Child Rights Governance project aims at building a society that respects, protects and fulfils children’s rights. It is an effective strategy for impacting on children’s lives at a larger scale, resulting in structural and therefore lasting change.
The two main components were:
- Ensuring responsive government performance, transparency of decision-making and robust accountability mechanisms for the realization of children’s rights.
- Supporting an active and well organized civil society in support of children’s rights as an important counterpart and counterbalance to governmental action.
The project outcomes were:-
- Improved capacity & accountability of duty bearers to fulfil child rights in Kenya;
- Kenyan boys and girls influence decisions that affect their lives.
KAACR was part of the 5 countries i.e. Uganda, Ghana, Morocco, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe and Kenya that carried out a three-year project tiled: Omar’s Dream – The Beginning of the End of Child Labour which was a quest of eliminating Child Labour in Africa in partnership with HIVOS Netherlands. Omar’s dream talks about issues of Child Labour in Africa and how all stakeholders can work together so that Child Labour can be eliminated and thus giving more children an opportunity to get education. Omar, who is seven years old, works in a tannery in the Moroccan city of Fez. Omar represents over 1.1 million children in child labour in Kenya.
The Objectives of the project which KAACR was the only implementing partner in Kenya were:-
- To establish Child labour Free Villages in target counties
- To create awareness on importance of education as a human right among children, parents and villagers to curb child labour
- Lobby and advocate for government and other organizations to adopt the area-based approach to eradicating child labour.
The key actors of this project that was carried out in four counties i.e. Mombasa, Kisumu, Busia and Kwale were: – The government line ministries (DCLC) Child Labour Committees, local political leaders, Children, employers and the Community at large.
The resultant of the project was:-
- Establishment of eight Child labour Free Villages, two in every county i.e. Machakos – Kathiani and Kaseve, Busia – Bwiri and Mudembu, Kisumu – Obwolo and Obunga, and Kwale – Tiwi and Mkwakani. This was achieved through improving relationships and networks formed at the counties, empowered community and the willingness of the community to eliminate Child Labour and make the regions free from Child Labour.
- Besides the labour free villages, KAACR also activated the celebration of World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) celebration on every 12 June which had been initiated by KAACR during Child labour Project with ILO.
KAACR was part of Together for Change Alliance that was geared towards strengthening child protection mechanisms for addressing abuse, neglect and exploitation of children, and ensuring that children grow up in a safe and supportive environment, thus contributing towards the National Child Protection Framework in Kenya. KAACR contributed to the Alliance through ICS by strategically taking lead in ensuring compliance to the existing child-focused legal and policy framework (International and national) that protect children by empowering stakeholders on rights and roles of children and also strengthening institutional capacity, networking and collaboration with child focused agencies and partners.
This programme was in line with Together for Change Alliance Strategic Objective aimed at changing such circumstances for children by 2015 and contributed to achieving KAACR strategic plan 2011-2015.
The objective was to build and strengthen civil society to ensure that: “Children are protected through well-functioning child protection mechanisms which include families, communities, and government taking responsibility to provide adequate care and protection to children”.
To be able to realize the set goals, KAACR has employed the following strategies:-
- Empowering the duty-bearers to provide care and protection to children:
- Building community and family quality child care and protection systems – building structures for child protection:
- Advocacy and lobbying: With experience in lobbying government to protect children, KAACR worked through National and Local (County) level NGO structures such as NGO Child Rights Committee and Regional Children Networks in Kenya to contribute towards the implementation of laws, policies that protect children.
The outcomes of the project were:
- Enhanced greater protection of children by duty bearers at national & local levels
- Enhanced capacity of actors to protect children against violation of their rights.
- Formation of community child protection rings in the project areas
- Strengthened NGOs networks that protect children in Kenya
- Increased participation of NGOs in government programmes that protect children
- Child rights issues became high on the agenda of policy makers.
- Compliance of Kenya to international requirements of preparation of periodic reports and implementation of concluding observations on all child-related international covenants signed by the government.
KAACR partnered with terre des hommes (TDH) and carried out two projects on child participation i.e. Actualization of Child participation in East Africa and Model projects in child participation.
Actualization of Child participation in East Africa
The purpose of the seven month project on Actualization of Child participation in East Africa was to encourage and mainstream sustainable child participation on structures that support children in TDH partners. The overall objective as to ensure realization of child participation practice is being undertaken by boys and girls in TDH project areas i.e. Nairobi in Kenya, Jinja in Uganda and Musoma in Tanzania
The project resulted in child participation being exercised through poems, storytelling, drawings, and photographs during children celebration days i.e. Day of the African Child and Universal Children Day in the three target areas that were coordinated by KAACR besides printing a children’s diary with children artworks.
Model Project in Child Participation
The purpose of the Model Project in Child Participation was mainstream children’s participation in the project cycles of TDHs partners in EA i.e. in Kenya – Laverna Children Home (Machakos) & Lokichar Children’s Home (Turkana), Tanzania – Youth Alive Club & St. Anthony VCT and Uganda – St. Elizabeth Girls (Kampala) and Buddukiro (Masaka).
The key objective was to ensure that TDH partners project planning and implementation reflects priorities identified by children.
By the end of the one year project:-
- Staff, managers and children from the partner organizations had gained new knowledge, skills and attitudes on child participation after being trained by KAACR from their respective locations
- Children within the project were able to participate in all aspects of project activities of the respective partner organizations
Beside the two projects, KAACR also partnered with TDH to mobilize, coordinate and mark the World Day Against Child Labour national celebration and workshop for children on 2012.
KAACR in partnership with Save the Children Sweden is implemented three year project on Child Protection Programme in Kenya aimed at ensuring that the National Child Protection System is institutionalized by key stakeholders. This involved stakeholders in the development of a NCPS strategy that will put on track the continued legal reforms on all matters affecting children in Kenya. KAACR undertook an all-inclusive approach to the establishment of a functional NCPS by involving children, community committees and Area Advisory Communities to develop a position on the development of NCPS in Kenya at all levels (National, County and sub-county). The program focused on increasing advocacy to the government for development and implementation of policies that protect children from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. There was specific focus on eliminating physical and humiliating Punishment especially in institutions for children without appropriate care where KAACR directly reached 150 children and 200 adults and indirectly reached 1,500 children and 1,000 adults this year.
Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children (KAACR) was contracted by Save the Children International Kenya to coordinate the 2012 Kenya Everyone Race for Survival Campaign whose aim was to mobilize political will and commitment to increase investment and implementation of long term programmes to tackle hunger and malnutrition. The campaign sought to increase the visibility of malnutrition in the global media platform, stakeholder forum and to mobilize foot soldiers to help push the agenda. The event which took place in four different locations of Kenya – Nairobi, Mombasa, Bungoma and Meru counties, coincided with the United National “World Food Day” and raised awareness on the plight of children around the world whose lives are affected by malnutrition.
With the support of Edukans, KAACR undertook a two year project in primary schools in western, Rift Valley and Nairobi provinces on enhancing the capacity of boys and girls to manage their adolescent reproductive health. KAACR used the Rights based approach by establishing Child Rights Clubs in fifty schools in each province through which children were trained as peer educators and peer counsellors and how to manage menses.
The objectives of the project were
- To advocate for child friendly policies on education, HIV/ADIS and adolescent health in Kenya
- To reduce vulnerability of children to HIV/AIDS, STIs, teenage pregnancy, early marriage early child birth, drug and substance abuse and sexual abuse
- To share information on education, HIV/AIDS and adolescent reproductive health through production of IEC materials
- To strengthen management systems and mechanisms of coordination, M&E of the project
The outcomes that were realized were:
- Increased awareness and use of policies and laws on education, HIV/AIDS and ARHR nationally
- Reduced incidences of early pregnancy/marriage, STIs & HIV/AIDS infections among adolescent in target regions
- Build capacity of teachers on child rights, how to run CRCs and ARHRs
The project resulted in KAACR hosting the Going Global Team of 96 adolescent from the Netherlands.
KAACR in partnership with HOPEHIV carried out a two year project whose aim was to establishing a pool of well-trained adolescents and youth who advocate for their rights especially those who are orphaned.
Project Objectives were:-
- To train an additional 200 adolescent educators from the two provinces (100 per province) on leadership and advocacy skills from a rights based approach and how they can be the change agents for the communities
- To train 100 teachers and parents from the identified schools on leadership and advocacy skills from a rights based approach
- Initiate establishment of two additional adolescent and mentoring clubs to advocate for the rights of children – one per province
- Coordinate participation of 500 adolescent youth in theatre, media, creative writing, role play, drama and debates in national policy organs
- Strengthen monitoring & evaluation of the project
The Impact was:-
- 200 Adolescent youth were equipped with knowledge and skills on leadership, advocacy and human rights
- Established 40 child rights clubs in the two provinces
- Established two adolescent leadership and mentoring clubs for 200 youth
- 500 Adolescents participated in national youth movements
- 10 radio listening groups on adolescent leadership and mentoring clubs undertaken
- Increased awareness among teachers and parents on leadership, advocacy and effective participation
- Re-designed and printed Child rights Club Facilitators manual distributed to youth and partners
This project helped to concretize the goal of establishing a pool of well-trained adolescents and youth who will advocate for their rights especially those who are orphaned through the linking of the child rights clubs that have been established in project schools to the 2 mentoring club. The project also helped to respond to the new needs that children have identified over the two years and also expand to additional schools in the same two regions. The designing and printing of the Child Rights Club facilitators manual ensured that all club use updated facilitation tools and on that is child friendly and encourages child participation.
Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children (KAACR) is part of the African Civil Society Platform for Social Protection whose other partners in Kenya are: – HELPAGE Kenya, Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN) and United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK).
The objectives of project that was implemented were: -
- To build the capacity of civil societies to enable them to engage effectively with government on social protection
- To input in to Kenya Social Protection Strategy
- To Raise Awareness to the public and other CSOs on Social Protection
- To Share information on good practices.
In this project, KAACR took lead in production of IEC materials on social protection to support the three partners. The IEC materials produced were posters, stickers and brochures on social protection. The materials were disseminated to the Social Protection partners and government offices.
KAACR was selected to be secretariat of RECY Network and spearheaded the implementation of a one year project on interventions geared towards empowering communities in Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi districts to protect children from sexual exploitation being part of the Recovery and Integration of Sexually Exploited Children and Youth (RECY) program that was being implemented in partnership with 8 others network members from funding from DANIDA.
KAACR was the leading agency in Kenya for the Educaids partnership composed of:- International Child Support (ICS) – Africa, Kenya AIDS Ngo’s Consortium (KANCO), Life Skills Promoters (LISP), National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Organization of African Instituted Churches – Kenya Chapter (OAIC- K), Rural Aids Prevention and Development Organization (RAPADO), Undugu Society of Kenya (USK), SEED SAMBURU, Dupotoo e Maa, ADRA KENYA, NAIROBITS and Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children (KAACR). The partnership aims at developing, in a network, a Sexual development, HIV/Aids and Reproductive health Education SHARE FRAMEWORK for effective communication and interventions, based on the needs of young people.
This formed the Educiads Kenya Partnership whose goal was:
‘‘Young people in Kenya Empowered through education to make well informed SRHR choices that will help their potential to the fullest in a conducive environment.’’
The Objectives were: -
- To provide children and young persons with appropriate and accurate knowledge and skills to enhance positive attitude on SRHR and ensure their active participation.
- To enhance the capacity of stakeholders(parents, teachers, guardians, community and religious leaders) to support children and young people to make informed choices on SRHR issues
- To enhance capacity of health service providers to provide youth-friendly services
- To advocate for review and implementation of policies on SRHR and change in retrogressive cultural practices and other social factors that influence SRHR among young people
The following strategies guided the Educaid’s Kenya partners in ensuring that the goals and objectives of the project have successfully been achieved.
- Strengthening Civil Society
- Successful training in SRH, intervention mapping and
- Communicating sexuality
- Successful carrying out of SA/NA by partner organization
- Evidence based SRH policies in at least 5 partner organization established
- Development of a common framework for interventions in the field of HIV/SRH
KAACR was contracted by Plan Kenya to facilitate the implementation of Tunaweza Project that was aimed at empowering children and young people to unleash their potential in Kilifi County DA.
The objectives of the project were:
- To increase participation and representation of youth and children in governance processes in community structures
- To improve services in the target communities as a result of young people’s participation
- To help Plan Kenya to learn about how to address root causes of poverty
KAACR used her wide experience of many years in child participation to successfully conduct the facilitation of the above project
KAACR in partnership with ILO/IPEC carried out a two year an Action program on Child Labour project to support the National Plan of Action through promotion of children participation in preventing WFCL using SCREAM and capacity building for IPEC implementing partners.
The major pillars of the national action were: promotion and support of children’s participation in the campaign and youth empowerment to fight CL, Enhancement of inter-agency co-operation and social partners/NGO collaboration and development of pro-active working with media to mobilize interest at all levels.
The objectives of the project were:
- To enhance the participation of children in the prevention of WFCL through popularization pf SCREAM, child labour monitoring and capacity building for members
- To withdraw and prevent children in Kisumu, Uasin Gishu and Kakamega distracts from WFCL and provide education and vocational training alternatives
- To enhance capacity of parents/guardians of vulnerable children prevented/withdrawn from WFCL
The outcomes realized were:
- Children and teachers were trained through CRCs on effects of child labour using SCEAM Methodology
- Over 1600 vulnerable children were prevented and withdrawn from CL
- Parents were sensitized on child labour and their capacitated on how to establish sustainable economic alternatives
- Drama and music festivals sponsored themes and entries of items on effects of CL for 2 years
- SCREAM Kenya Network (ANPPCAN Regional Office, ANPPCAN Kenya Chapter, SOLWODI, FAWE, Undugu Society of Kenya, AMWIK, MYSA and KAACR) was strengthened to promote child participation in elimination of CL.
KAACR was the secretariat of SCREAM Network
In partnership with Banyan Tree Foundation, KAACR carried out a 2 year project on Eliminating Corporal Punishment through non-violent means of Discipline in Kenya
The project goal was – Learning institutions in Kenya fully embrace alternatives to Corporal Punishment in Kenya schools and targeted 50 public primary and secondary schools in Coast and Western Provinces of Kenya. The overall objective was to inform, educate and advocate for elimination of the use of corporal punishment in learning institutions and the adoption of non-violent discipline methods among children, teachers, parents and Policy makers
Specific Objectives were:
- To increase awareness and understanding amongst teachers, children agencies workers (NGOs & CBOs), education managers, children and parents on child rights, protection of children from physical violence and alternatives to corporal punishment
- To strengthen the ability of girls and boys to take responsibilities for self-discipline and participation discipline matters in school
- To strengthen a proactive network of teacher who support and promote the use of non-violent discipline methods in schools
- To strengthen the campaign on alternatives to corporal punishment by development of advocacy materials and documentation of best practices
- To establish management systems for coordination, monitoring documentation and evaluation of project goals
Target Groups were:-
- Teachers, Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs),) Ministry of Education officials, education managers – Ministry of Education officials and NGO CRC Committee members
- Girls and boys between standard four and eight in public primary schools,
- Girls and boys in public secondary schools
The Outcomes were
- Enhanced understanding and application of non-violent positive discipline methods by teachers, education officers, child focused agencies and parents
- Increased ability of girls and boys take responsibility for self-discipline and participation discipline matters in model project schools
- An active network of teachers who promote alternatives to corporal punishment and interaction between teachers and children improved
- Increased visible advocacy work on establishment of model schools that have embraced alternatives to corporal punishment methodology in Kenya