PROTECTION
Assistant Chief Esther Wangechi Muchemi Takes The Pledge With Stahili
Stahili joined forces with Assistant County Chief Esther Muchemi to create orphanage-free communities in Kenya. As part of Stahili’s efforts, she has pledged to join us in ending orphanages in central Kenya, and to strengthen community-based family care and foster care systems.
Towards family-based care
Although the number of orphans in the world is steadily decreasing, the number of orphanages and similar residential institutions is on the rise. However, between 80% and 90% of children in orphanages have parents or close family members who could care for them. We place the well-being of children at the centre of our work by promoting sustainable and supportive family-based care and kinship care.
Children need families, not orphanages.
It is not a question of individual orphanages being “good” or “bad.” All residential care institutions like orphanages or children’s homes can be harmful to children’s physical, emotional and psycho-social well-being and should be seen as places of last resort. Children need families, not institutions.
Want to learn more? We follow the Guidelines for the Alternative Family Care of Children in Kenya and the United Nations Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.
What we do
Working with government and communities in Kenya, Stahili helps to enable children who are living in orphanages, or who have been trafficked to orphanages, to become part of families. Our work includes:
- Tracing families
- Supporting holistic reintegration back into families and communities
- Monitoring well-being and progress
- Developing family-based care alternatives
Bringing children home is however not enough to keep them safe and in families. Learn more about our work to support children and their families.
Communities
Communities are at the heart of Stahili’s mission to protect children from the harms of orphanages. The Stahili Community Group is made up of parents and family members who work alongside Stahili to build capacity and fight child trafficking to orphanages.
Education
Education is important in keeping vulnerable children and families safe. Stahili educates students on the harms of trafficking and empowers them to live a life under nobody’s control but their own.
Learn more about one of Stahili’s workshops as part of CNN’s #MyFreedomDay.
#MyFreedomDay has been important for kids in Kenya to “reinforce their commitment to a life in nobody’s control” https://t.co/hD9sbcgUnE
— CNN Freedom Project (@CNNFreedom) March 14, 2017
Building community-based foster care
All children deserve to grow up in loving and secure families. However, sometimes it is not possible for children from orphanages to return to their parents or kinship families, or there needs to be a period of transition from institution to family.
Working with local chiefs and the Department of Children’s Services, Stahili is strengthening foster care by identifying and training local families who are prepared and ready to provide care in a family setting to children without parental care.