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Chains of solidarity and kindness

While in class six, Anthony’s father, the sole breadwinner of the family,  passed on due to HIV/AIDS-related complications. Two years later, his mother passed on right in the crucial year when he was sitting for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education. Anthony was left in the hands of his ageing grandmother. Despite the social, emotional and psychological turbulence at the apex of his education, Anthony performed well in his exams and earned a place in a national school. As fate would have it, instead of joining high school, he secured a job as a herd’s boy in a far off place from home. 

One day while grazing animals, Monica, a volunteer children rights promoter with St. Martin, encountered him. He recounted his life story to the volunteer and why he was out of school. St. Martin CSA has trained a network of over 600 volunteers who act as a link between the client system (poor, vulnerable and marginalized people affected by disabilities, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence and human rights violations,  alcohol and drugs addiction and children rights abuses) and the resources systems (duty bearers, geographical communities and civil societies). Monica linked Anthony to the St. Martin HIV/AIDS programme. Meanwhile, she entered into a dialogue with Anthony’s employer and other volunteers in the region. They organized fundraising to support Anthony’s education. The fundraising was a huge success and Anthony joined secondary school in the second semester. The volunteers mobilized additional resources from the Constituency Bursary Fund, well-wishers and organized several other fundraisings in aid of Anthony’s education. The volunteers walked with Anthony through secondary education to university where he graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture. 

St. Martin CSA in collaboration with communities has supported over 3000 orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) and accorded them an opportunity to pursue their life goals at different levels of education, among them 100 children born with HIV whose safety, well-being or development was at significant risk. This education support on the very basic level gave children a solid foundation for continued learning throughout life. Retention in school as the example of Anthony shows is critically important to children’s social integration and psychosocial well-being. School attendance helps children affected by trauma to regain a sense of normalcy and to recover from the psychosocial impacts of their experiences and disrupted lives. Education increases labour productivity, improves health, and enables people to participate fully in the economy and the development of societies. 

During the 2021 St. Martin’s Day celebrations,  an emotional Anthony shared how he started a solidarity group with his peers to support needy children in children charitable institutions in Nairobi where he is currently working.  Anthony is creating chains of solidarity and kindness to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all in line with Sustainable Development Goal number 4.

While the Constitution of Kenya 2010 unequivocally promises all Kenyans unprecedented opportunity to capitalize on the progress made thus far to exploit the full potential of education for each and every child, youth and adult in the country, many boys and girls from Laikipia pastoralist communities do not access education. Therefore, we have launched the Soma Mwana project in partnership with Fondazione Fontana, Italy, to support secondary school education for 500 girls from pastoralist communities. 60 are already benefitting from this initiative.  With Ksh.40, 800 (Euros 340) per year, you can support a girl to acquire knowledge, skills and values for a life of dignity, to find her own place in society, and to join a chain of young people transforming their families and communities. 

“Education is the great engine of personal development.  It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation.  It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”

 Nelson Mandela

What we do

Protect and Rescue children from Abusive situations 

rescue

 

The programme rescues children facing harm as a result of physical, sexual, child marriage, FGM and emotional abuse, as well as neglect and exploitation. Street connected children are also rescued. They are provided with proper care in our rescue centres.  

Upon rehabilitation, these children are reintegrated back into the community and provided with education support like school uniforms and fees where need be in order to settle them in schools. The programme also target vulnerable in Nyahururu sub-county who lack access to one or more basic needs and their rights are constantly abused. The programme support such children with schooling needs, resource mobilization from the community as well as advocating for their rights. 

Psychosocial support

psychosocial

 

People affected by drug abuse and mental illness struggle with various life challenges that puts pressure on the mental wellbeing. This is not limited only to those who are directly affected but also the significant others and other members of the family. The programme therefore adopted a household approach in offering counseling services including family therapy to ensure psychological wellness of the entire family. These services are offered under the auspices of the community counseling centre where the programme mobilizes counselors from the community who in turn offer free services to clients using St. Martin facilities.

Advocacate for Child Protection

 

advocacy

 

The programme works with different stakeholders involved in child protection matters to advocate for child protection and resolve issues of violated children in a timely and child-inclusive manner in line with their best interests. The programme undertakes the following activities; 

  • Educating the public through radio shows and awareness creation on matters of children
  • Collaborating with the government agencies and civil societies on activities that enhance the promotion of child rights
  • Working with local and national networks in the field of child protection.
  • Empowerment of direct beneficiaries by providing information on the existing initiatives by government and organization that provides for their rights. 

Capacity Building

capacity building

 

The programme trains the following stakeholders as follows;

  • Community volunteers – They are trained on basic mental health information and community mobilization so that they may be able to identify and refer people with mental illness to appropriate support system. 
  • People affected by mental illness and addiction – As the people directly affected by mental illness and addiction, they are trained on various topics to enable them gain greater insight into their lives, adhere to treatment and take charge of their lives. 
  • Significant others of the beneficiaries – These are the close relatives of the beneficiaries who are trained to build their capacity to effectively support the recovery of their kin affected by mental illness and addiction.
  • Other stakeholders including chiefs, institutions, village elders among others who play a role in addressing mental health concerns in the community.

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