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Promoting child rights in Kenya - Pelastakaa Lapset ry

Promoting child rights in Kenya - Pelastakaa Lapset ry

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- The National Children <strong>in</strong> Need Network was a coalition formed to address <strong>child</strong> <strong>rights</strong> and <strong>child</strong> protectionafter the Hear<strong>in</strong>g on Street Children organized by ANPPCAN <strong>in</strong> 1994 to discuss the plight of street <strong>child</strong>ren.- Programs for street <strong>child</strong>ren: CSOs have had programmes target<strong>in</strong>g <strong>child</strong>ren liv<strong>in</strong>g and work<strong>in</strong>g on thestreets with various <strong>in</strong>terventions over the years. The programmes are spread throughout the count<strong>ry</strong> and<strong>in</strong>clude Undugu Society of <strong>Kenya</strong>, Salvation Army and Nyalenda Catholic Church (supportive programmes);CWSK, Child Fund, ActionAid <strong>Kenya</strong> (AAK), Starehe Boys Centre and School, Salesians of Don Bosco,Disciples of Mercy, SOS Children's Home, SNV and Barnardo's Children's Home.- The Diversion Program seeks to improve the Juvenile Justice System <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kenya</strong>. Save the Children Sweden<strong>in</strong> collaboration with the Department of Children Services, the Police and other key partners from thegovernment and the NGO sector developed a diversion framework <strong>in</strong> 2001. The target was <strong>child</strong>ren <strong>in</strong> thecrim<strong>in</strong>al justice system who would be identified and diverted at the earliest po<strong>in</strong>t of contact with the justicesystem, which <strong>in</strong> most cases is the police station. In the long term this would result <strong>in</strong> the improvement of thejuvenile justice system <strong>in</strong> the count<strong>ry</strong> as communities would have the capacity to deal with juvenile justicerelated issues <strong>in</strong> their own way. Diversion projects have been implemented <strong>in</strong> Kilimani, Kamukunji, BuruBuru, Kasarani (all <strong>in</strong> Nairobi), Naivasha, Nakuru, Bondeni, Kitale, Gucha, Kisii, Siaya, Kisumu, Busia andKakamega Police Stations.Programmes and Initiatives to Address Child LabourPoverty and the stagnation of the economy <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kenya</strong> have led to ris<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>cidences of <strong>child</strong> abuse, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g <strong>child</strong> labour.To address this, a National Action Plan (NAP) has been developed to address <strong>child</strong> labour. It is formulated andimplemented as an <strong>in</strong>tegral part of the National Poverty Reduction Strategy Programme (PRSP) and Vision 2030. TheNAP design is also underp<strong>in</strong>ned and guided by the government’s commitment to key national and <strong>in</strong>ternational legaland policy <strong>in</strong>struments, among them the UNCRC, ACRWC, ILO Conventions 138, 182, 29, 105, 81 as well as theMillennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) <strong>in</strong>itiatives. The NAP also takes <strong>in</strong>to considerationthe new Constitution which prohibits all forms of exploitative labour. It is based on a comprehensive and multi-sectoralapproach requir<strong>in</strong>g the commitment of all stakeholders <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g government, trade unions, employer organisations,the civil society, private sector, development partners, parents, guardians and beneficiaries. Membership <strong>in</strong>cludes GoK<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the M<strong>in</strong>ist<strong>ry</strong> of Labour, the media, NGOs and religious organizations. ANPPCAN Regional Office serves asthe secretariat.Interventions to address <strong>child</strong> labour <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kenya</strong> undertaken by both the government and members of the civil society<strong>in</strong>clude the follow<strong>in</strong>g:a) Development of a comprehensive legal framework <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the Children Act, 2001.b) Review of the exist<strong>in</strong>g laws <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Labour Laws and the Children Act.c) Domestication of relevant <strong>in</strong>ternational and regional treaties.d) A partnership programme between GoK and ILO/IPEC. This <strong>in</strong>cludes the Time BoundProgramme.e) Trade unions and the Federation of <strong>Kenya</strong> Employers (FKE) have been sensitized on <strong>child</strong> labour.f) Communities have been encouraged to start <strong>in</strong>come-generat<strong>in</strong>g activities <strong>in</strong> schools with a viewto encourag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>child</strong>ren to stay <strong>in</strong> school.g) Labour <strong>in</strong>spectors have been tra<strong>in</strong>ed to monitor <strong>child</strong> labour activities <strong>in</strong> the count<strong>ry</strong>.h) A UN Jo<strong>in</strong>t Programme on Youth Employment and Empowerment has been started.i) ANPPCAN Regional Office ran a <strong>child</strong> labour programme which provided appropriate development models forcombat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>child</strong> labour <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kenya</strong> and by the end of 2006, over 10,000 <strong>child</strong>ren had benefited from programme<strong>in</strong>terventions s<strong>in</strong>ce 1997. The programme operated <strong>in</strong> fourteen districts and focused on <strong>child</strong>ren at risk of dropp<strong>in</strong>g outof school to jo<strong>in</strong> the worst forms of <strong>child</strong> labour as well as provid<strong>in</strong>g alternatives to those withdrawn from <strong>child</strong> labour.j) Child Welfare Society of <strong>Kenya</strong> (CWSK) has through the Rescue Peace House Centre rescued girls from the streetsand counselled, rehabilitated, resettled and placed them <strong>in</strong> vocational tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g centres and <strong>in</strong>formal schools.k) The <strong>Kenya</strong> Institute of Education has <strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>child</strong> labour messages <strong>in</strong> the exist<strong>in</strong>g school curriculum.l) Legal aid organisations such as FIDA <strong>Kenya</strong>, CLAN and The CRADLE have handled cases of physically or sexuallyabused <strong>child</strong>ren referred to them by organisations work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the <strong>child</strong> labour sector such as SINAGA.m) UNICEF works closely with the World Bank and ILO <strong>in</strong> the project ‘Understand<strong>in</strong>g Children’s Work’. This <strong>in</strong>teragencyprogramme aims to address the crucial need for more and better data on <strong>child</strong> labour.61

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