The following projects and activities have been running for the period January-April 2010:

1. Legal aid provision for children in need supported

This project aims at providing free legal aid to children who have been victims of abuse and exploitation. Specifically, the projects intends to ensure abused, exploited children have access to legal aid, enhance the capacity of partners to address children’s legal aid needs and increase awareness by general pubic on legal issues that affect children.

2. Development of a training manual on child rights and child protection in Kenya for police officers and Child Protection Unit Standards

ANPPCAN Kenya  Chapter  in collaboration with the Kenya Police and funded by UNICEF (Kenya) are undertaking a project that focuses on developing a comprehensive training manual for police officers (law enforcement officers) on Child Protection and developing standards for Child Protection Units (CPUs) at Police Stations in Kenya. The manual will be the basis of other capacity building initiatives that will ensure child protection is mainstreamed in the Police Training Curriculum and the CPU standards will guide the improvement of the CPU facilities for child protection at the police stations.

A standing taskforce comprising representatives from the Kenya Police, Children’s Department, ANPPCAN Kenya, UNICEF, CLAN and the CRADLE was co-opted to carry out drafting work for the training manual and CPU Standards document. During this reporting period, stakeholders’ workshops were held to review the draft manual and standards.

The next stage of this process will involve pre-testing of the manual through training workshops for police officers facilitated by the police training colleges in Kiganjo, Eldoret and Mombasa. The manual and the standards are expected to be finalized and launched during the year.

3. Strengthening care environment for young children affected by HIV/.AIDS, Lower Ambira Community Child Development Programme (LACCDP)

The Goal of the program is to contribute to the wellbeing of children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS in Kenya through Early Childhood Development programs. Its main objective is to enhance community based care and support systems and protection of children aged 0-8 years in families affected by HIV/AIDS in Ambira Sub-location of Siaya District, Nyanza Province.

The program key objectives include:

To enhance community support systems for children affected by HIVAIDS. 

To improve care and protection of children in HIV AIDS affected families.

To increase community’s knowledge and understanding on HIVAIDS prevention and care of children affected by HIVAIDS.

To improve the social and emotional wellbeing of children aged 0-8 years from HIVAIDS affected families.

During the reporting period of January to April 210, a total of 103 children were admitted to Massuun and Ujamu ECD Centres in January this year. A total of 30 children were enrolled in primary schools at Ambira and Raduodi from the ECD centres. Growth monitoring and treatment exercise and supplementary feeding programme resumed in the ECD centres as scheduled. 

The thematic committee of the Community Savings and Credit Scheme (CSCS) approved and disbursed loans to 10 successful applicants i.e. 6 women and 4 men. The successful applicants support a total of 61 children dependants and all intended to improve their IGAs which range from farming, welding, tailoring, carpentry, small scale businesses like retail shops, fish mongering, grains and vegetables. This is a sustainable initiative run by the community with technical support from ANPPCAN Kenya.