Dagoretti child in need project
Street children in Kenya are perceived as chokora – a Swahili word associated with scavenging for food from garbage bins. Nairobi’s street children are from diverse backgrounds. Some are from abusive homes or have been abandoned by their parents. Others have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS or have dropped out of school to support their families.
AMREF’s Dagoretti Child in Need Project is a model for community-based childcare and support for street children as well as for children from slums and other disadvantaged backgrounds. The project involves a process known as the 4-Rs: Rescue, Rehabilitation, Re-socialization, and Reintegration.
AMREF operates a center in Dagoretti, catering to the needs of 180 children at a time. It assists the children in re-joining the Kenyan school system or beginning vocational training program. The children visit the center on a daily basis and are given food, health care, and counseling. AMREF also helps them find and reunite with their families. When this is not possible, AMREF searches for suitable guardians within the local community.
Main objectives of the project
- Rescue, rehabilitate, resocialize, and reintegrate abandoned and vulnerable children back into the family unit and community
- Improve community understanding and awareness of the rights of children as a way of stemming the flow of children on to the streets
- Provide vulnerable children access to basic education and vocational training opportunities
- Increase the access of vulnerable children to basic health services and information
- Establish a sustainable childcare and support model for street children; one that could be scaled up and replicated in other communities
Key achievements
- Over 300 children have been given educational opportunities and approximately 100 have received vocational training
- Improvement in the health and social status of the children in Dagoretti - at least 500 children can now access health care and health education
- 20 active life skills clubs have been established in the community
- Community participation has been increased in the promotion of child rights and well being
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