Promoting child rights in Kenya - Pelastakaa Lapset ry

VI.VII.VIII.IX.Dissemination of information, education and communication material on relevant issuesshould continue. This includes simplified and popular versions to meet the needs ofchildren and people with low literacy levels. The role of the media in informationdissemination is commendable and should continue.Child protection and resource centres should be established in each county to support allstakeholders in addressing children issues at county level.Development partners should continue with the support that they have been giving to bothgovernment and CSOs and consider scaling it up to enable children claim their rights asenvisioned in The Constitution of Kenya, 2010.A more detailed and documentation of key processes in the children sector for learningpurposes should be undertaken. It should capture input from both children and adultsfrom all over the country, views of government and civil society, as well as an analysis ofthe role played by all stakeholders.Details of the challenges, lessons learned and recommendations are contained in the report.The views expressed in this documentation are those of the authors and are based on theirinterpretation and analysis of the issues discussed. The authors are Mathenge Munene, LeahAmbwaya and Jane Mbugua who have all worked in the children sector in Kenya in variouscapacities for many years and have participated in most of the processes discussed here. Theirprofiles are annexed to this report.MethodologyThis documentation is based on key processes that have taken place in the children sector. Thedocumentation focuses on the period from 1989 to the present and the processes that have takenplace in this period. The authors have, however, briefly delved into the period before 1989 in orderto put matters into perspective and for better understanding of the contents. The informationcontained here is based on the personal experiences of the authors, as no formal interviews werecarried out.During planning meetings with Save the Children it was agreed that in documenting theirexperiences the authors would focus on capturing key processes, the impact of these processeson children, the role of stakeholders including children, the civil society organisations (CSOs), thegovernment and parents/guardians. A critical analysis of the processes including key lawsimpacting on children and the role played by children and CSOs in the enactment or review ofthese policies and laws was a key part of the documentation. The documentation attempts tocapture how the current policy and legal framework protects children, and the role played by CSOs.Successes and weaknesses have been part of the processes and they are also addressed.In arriving at this documentation the team used the following methods:I. Their own personal experiences in the children sector spanning many yearsII. Review of documents including reports (including those done by children), laws,policies, guidelines, regulations, conventions, and treaties among others.Some of the documents reviewed have been authored by the team members.7