UPDATE

SATURDAY, 10TH MAY 2008

2.4 MILLION ORPHANS RISK NEGLECT

SAYS MINISTER

(Daily Nation, Friday 9th May2008

 

It is estimated that there are 18 million children in Kenya at this time.  The Government is currently carrying on a cash transfer programme in 37 Districts in order to provide "regular and predictable" transfers of cast to families living with orphans and vulnerable children.    The Gender & Children's Affairs Minister, Esther Mathenge has stated that there are 13,280 households in Kenya caring for orphans.

 

APPARENTLY these are households receiving 'cash transfers' as an inducement for them to CARE.  "This" she said, "will encourage the families to foster and retain the children."       The Minister also said that in the African Traditional Society orphans were taken care of by the extended family, but lamented that the socio-cultural and economic changes have weakened family ties.

The Cash Transfer Programme was started last year and is the brain child of the previous Vice President,  Hon. Moody Awori, whose main interest was in our Prisons.      It is he who said that by 2020 we shall not be in need of Children's Homes because there will be no orphans on the street - they will all by then be fostered by existing families.       It sounds good doesn't it?

In 1968 when I first arrived in Kenya the traditional custom of the 'Extended Family' was still very much in view in the rural areas of Kenya - but increasingly diminishing as practice in the urban areas...... Traditionally if any child in the village was rendered an orphan another relative or even a neighbour immediately took the child into their own family, thus 'extending' it.         THIS is what I had in mind when TFH began - and we have always considered each of our Homes as they have come into being, as an Extended Family.      It has worked well.

There is no doubt that there are far MORE families in Kenya than the stated 13,280 families that have  -  WITHOUT GOVERNMENT AID - taken orphaned children from their community into their homes, even though this has caused them considerable economic sacrifice.     AND those children have stayed with them in far greater numbers than we are now hearing are staying on with those PAID to have them under their roof.       FAR from clearing the country of orphans by 2020 it now seems likely we shall have even MORE orphans with nowhere to go.     Indeed of late we are hearing that already numbers of these 'fostered' children are back on the street, having run off from their extended families - WHY, I wonder.      Might it be because their new found 'parents' are more interested in the extra cash coming in (about £16 per month per child) than in the needs and care of the children given to them to look after?

When this Programme was first muted there were quite a number of comments flying around,     The KENYA NEWS DESK asked -

'WHAT MEASURES have we taken to ensure such children will be

better off in foster homes than in institutions?   How is the Government going to monitor the millions of children involved, considering that right now the Children's Department is almost moribund?     Whilst we would not try to second guess the Government on the issue, it appears to us as if the Vice President is shooting from the hip.     Even in developed Countries they have found it difficult to monitor just how orphaned children are being treated in foster homes.    So how will the government ensure that the children it has farmed out to foster homes in Kenya are not turned into slave labourers?   How will it guarantee they will  not fall into the clutches of pedophiles?

 

WE AGREED with the drift of this article.      We also felt that support for Children in Children's Homes might tail off if donors got the idea they were a thing of the past.  We felt the Vice President had gone of half cocked, and spoken too soon and too dogmatically.     We wrote to him sharing our view and suggesting he could make a further statement of a less discouraging tone for those involved in residential child care and its support in the country.     Writing on behalf of the U.G. Children's Services Forum to the V.P. I said -

'During the May 2007 monthly meeting of this Forum concern was voiced by all Members - more than 30 representatives of Charitable Children's Homes and Government Officials concerned with Children's Services in the District - about exactly what impression such statements cited above, will have on current stakeholders (those propagating, managing, and financing the building, extension, and daily support of new and existing works.

Uasin Gishu District has more than 80,000 orphans needing assistance.   We all realise that the complete answer is not in Children's Homes - we world need a totally unrealistic number of them.    We realise that the plan to encourage our own countrymen to foster and adopt is a truly beneficial and sensible one.    It is a concept that has much to recommend it both socially and culturally.

HOWEVER, the consensus of opinion within the forum has been that this plan may hit snags such as sustainability both financially and supervisorally.    It is felt that it is too soon to say 'We shall not need any Children's Homes by 2020.'   Indeed it is felt , rather, that however unfortunate it may be for us to face, we shall still NEED such Institutions well beyond 2020 and into the future.

CONSIDERING THIS ISSUE,

it was felt that in making this statement without any mitigation whatsoever, donors and developers in Children's Services will be caused to consider pulling back, if not completely OUT, from future capital development in relation to the residential care of children in Kenya.    Members feel that to promulgate such an attitude is to endanger the effective implementation of an important and relevant part of the answer to the present pressing National need,.      THEY would humbly present this opinion to you in the hope that you might be able to present some clarification that might remove what appears a strong negative position regarding Residential Child Care in the Country.

If investment ceases or slows down in support of such a provision in Kenya for destitute and needy children, and if the expectation or proper implementation of foster care stumbles or misfires, then bow great will be the collective suffering.    It is felt that a further Statement is needed to reassure those who might yet assist us in the ongoing provision of Residential Child Care facilities.'

 

No reply or acknowledgment was received.- but now we begin to see how hollow his statements were, and how realistic the comment of the Kenya News Desk was.       This has been accentuated by the troubles that arose for the nation in January, and which have seriously de-stabilised our economy.

 

SCHOOL OPENED ON SCHEDULE!!

570 Primary Students and about 120 High Schoolers plus 110 Pre School students.

Quit a CROWD, but so good to see them back to school, and ALL of our children with them, and our College Students away back on their Courses.

MUMPS seems to have spent itself and passed on to some other playground.   Everyone looks healthy.

Next Week last years Form 1Vs will be commencing Courses to prepare them for independent life.

FESTUS SIMIYU, STEPHAN WAITHAKA, ISAAC AYUMBA & NATHANIEL KENYANJUI, 

will go to the Rift Valley Technical Institute for two year courses in

Mechanical Engineering, Motor Mechanics, Electrical Wiring,

MARADONA THOMAS

To ALPHAX COLLEGE to do Computer Engineering

JONAH KIBET

to KCA UNIVERSITY

&  EDWIN NGOBIA to CPC UNIVERSITY

both to do B.Com.

They, together with TEN already having commenced their Courses and continuing, have spent an unprecedented Ksh.200,000/ (£1,666) since May began - TWICE as much as our food bill for the same period!

But we are always glad and Thankful to see them busy on their way to an independent and we trust secure future.     We thank you all too for all your prayer and support to make it happen in Jesus Name.

 

WELL, that's about all for this time round.    Except to say that we have a colony of Pipistrelle BATS in our sitting room chimney.    It has been so warm that we have not lit a fire for some time now, and on Monday Esther and I were sitting talking and 'PLOP' something fell into the fireplace - it looked like a small blob of soot.   Then it shuffled itself to the wall and began to climb a little way before taking off on a tour of our sitting and dining.     After that Esther lost her cool, and together with Helen left the scene to me.      I eventually got it to take its leave through the front door.      Another one visited on Thursday as well, and this time our friend David Brook who was visiting briefly from Huddersfield did the honours.     All in a days work -  I definitely prefer bats to snakes!           TOMORROW is my 68th Birthday - one of Esther's nieces who is visiting us this weekend with her sister and brother in law thinks I look 88! - She may be right, cheeky child.    I thank God for His Faithfulness to me day by day.     He is IS my Strength.

 

Lovingly to you all

 

John and Esther