The Child welfare program has been caring for OVC's since its conception-1987.The aim of our interventions is to reduce vulnerability of orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) by ensuring access to the basic social services. Our key focus areas are education, health care, child protection, counseling and guidance. Focus is mainly given to;
- Children that have been affected by HIV/AIDS by way of infection or orphanage to loss of parents
- Children from poor families
- Children living in families with a big care burden
- Children living with elderly caregivers
- Children in need of alternate care (homeless, abused or neglected).
- Education
A total of 1,172 OVC have been gone through our sponsorship program. Presently 472 OVC are on sponsorship and these are supported in a way of paying school fees, making follow up visits to their schools and homes and giving them career guidance. A big number of children who have been supported are living self reliant lives and contributing to the welfare of their families (check out impact)
- Health care
The health of an individual child and the family's wellbeing is given priority in our work. Children that are supported and are in need of health care are treated. In place is a pediatric unit where children living with HIV are cared for. A total number of 36 children are on Anti Retroviral Therapy program and 149 children are on general care. HIV Counseling and Testing for children is done at the health centre to ensure that children who are found positive receive timely care.
- Child protection; the right to survival
Each child is a unique being and has a right to life. KCCC acknowledges and upholds the child's right to survival. This is fulfilled through ensuring that survival needs of children are met. In place is a foster home to give shelter to homeless children, food insecure homes are given nutritional support, children below the age of five are immunized and those who are sick access medical care.
To intensify our work in child protection, KCCC uses a community approach to ensure that the rights of children are not violated; a team of community childcare advocates have been trained to identify, follow up cases of child abuse and report them to the relevant authorities.
- Counseling and guidance
In place is a team of social workers to help children over come their emotional burdens, achieve rehabilitation, realize new hope and make decisions that will enable them overcome vulnerability. The counseling is offered to compliment the other aspects of support.
How is it done?
- One on one interaction between a child who has been identified with a counseling need and the social worker.
- During the visits to the children's school and home, social workers establish children's counseling needs and begin on the process of helping the child.
- Guidance is at times offered to children within their support groups. The children's support groups do engage in music dance and drama, sports and other social activities and these promote life skills development, career guidance, that helps children safeguard against HIV/AIDS, STDs, shape attitudes and enhance peer to peer learning. Children in their different localities come together to form a group and in place are 6 groups of 30 – 40 children each. These groups are under guidance of an adult-community member who is trained by KCCC in handling children. The groups are unique in such a way that children who constitute them share common experience for example many of the children are orphaned, a big number are living very poor families, some are HIV positive or nursing loved ones who are sick. Therefore meeting in groups helps them to share and support one another.
- Community empowerment
This is done to increase capacity of communities/duty bearers to handle children's issues at the community level. Our target group is local leaders, teachers, community members, and police.
How is it done?
Through conducting community dialogues, schools sensitizations, training and taking part in national.
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