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The Hopes Of Kenya's Children
Hanging In The Balance - UNICEF
Article Date: 28 Jan 2008
The hopes of hundreds of thousands of Kenyan children and their
families hang in the balance as the two leaders in the disputed
election, President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga, finally begin to
talk, face to face. The meeting, instigated through the mediation
of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other eminent
African leaders, offers the strongest hope for peace since the
country was engulfed in brutal inter-ethnic and political conflict.
Children and women have borne the worst of the violence in Kenya
and have the most to gain from peace.
Overnight brutal attacks continued in several areas in the Rift
Valley. Children and families in Molo and the Mau Summit fled for
their lives while their homes were set ablaze. Up to 5,000 people
who are fleeing this insecurity were expected to arrive in Nakuru
Thursday. Inter-ethnic violence also erupted in some places that
had so far stayed out of the conflict, including Nakuru which is
now playing host to the largest population of displaced families
in the country.
While the government continued to try to close camps for displaced
families in Nairobi, notably the Jamhuri camp where 3,000 people
were living until Monday, the lack of political agreement was
reflected in the fear and apprehension many displaced families
expressed about returning home. Many just do not know where "home"
is any more.
UNICEF has dispatched more than USD1.2 million in emergency
supplies and has had teams working on the ground in the major hot
spots since the crisis began. While vital life-saving support in
water, sanitation, hygiene, health and the prevention of
malnutrition continues, the children's agency is in particular
need of funds to protect children from violence and abuse, and to
assist those who have been worst affected.
Children, teens and women are always reluctant to talk about
sexual attacks, yet the reality of such abuses is all too evident.
Preliminary reports collected by an interagency group, led by
UNFPA with support from UNICEF and UNIFEM, indicate the tragedy of
girls and women in the informal camps who trade sex for biscuits,
protection, transportation, or are raped while trying to get to a
latrine during the night. The camps have little light and those
who have fled from their homes with nothing have no flashlights to
guide their way. The Gender Violence Recovery Center in Mombasa
reported that cases of sexual violence had doubled since the
elections and there have been an increase in sexual assaults by
strangers and gang rapes; mostly of them girls under the age of
18, but also including some boys. Most do not report these attacks,
and those who do rarely within the recommended 72-hours that
allows optimal treatment to prevent HIV infection.
Getting children back to school is vital for their better
protection as well as to help build a sense of normalcy in their
lives. An estimated 1,700 displaced children have been admitted to
schools in the Nakuru area alone. More than 500 children who are
staying at the Nakuru showground, for example, are now attending
the nearby Moi Primary School. Their classes are held in tents
provided by UNICEF.
UNICEF has also supplied teaching and learning materials and
recreation kits - and desks and chairs are on the way. Classes
also started yesterday with over 2,000 children enrolled at the
Eldoret Showground camp and another 1,200 at the Burnt Forest
camps. While some of the classes were held in tents, many took
place in the open air, often with teachers who had themselves been
displaced by the violence. The re-establishment of schools in the
most difficult circumstances is a testament to the commitment of
Kenyans to education. Many displaced parents told UNICEF that
getting their children back to school is their top priority.
Working with partners UNICEF is also setting up safe play areas in
Nakuru that will enable children from the camp to enjoy games and
play, and for parents to be assured that their children are safe
while they go to seek work or fuel or collect water and food, or
for a place to live. Safe play areas supported by UNICEF will be
created not only in the camps, but also in the heart of the worst
affected communities where children who were not displaced, have
nevertheless suffered from the violence and deprivations of the
past weeks. The safe play zones provide children and their
families with opportunities for counseling and reconciliation.
UNICEF support for the return to school will also include a strong
peace and reconciliation component.
UNICEF is urgently seeking USD3 million for emergency child
protection and education programmes that can protect and help
children today and build a safer Kenya tomorrow.
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