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Tag: Child Welfare

  • Ilako Mututa school receives donations after dormitory fire

    Ilako Mututa school receives donations after dormitory fire

    Learners of Ilako Mututa Mixed Secondary School, which recently suffered a fire incident in Kitui West, received much-needed relief through donations of assorted items.

    The school’s only girls’ dormitory was destroyed at the beginning of the second term, forcing the administration to send the affected students home for two weeks.

    Although learning has since resumed, the girls, many of whom lost all their belongings, are still grappling with the aftermath of the fire.

    Hope was renewed following a visit by the Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK), an agency under the newly established Department of Child Welfare Services in the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, in collaboration with area MP Edith Nyenze.

    CWSK, which is mandated to protect and promote the welfare of children across the county, responded through its emergency response programme by donating maize, beans, rice, cooking oil, blankets, bed sheets, school bags, uniforms, toothbrushes, personal hygiene kits and other assorted personal effects

    The school’s principal, Jeremiah Mutukaa, welcomed the outpouring support, noting that the school was struggling and was on the brink of closure due to lack of food.

    “We are truly grateful for this generous gesture from Child Welfare. These items will go a long way in helping our school move forward and complete the term on a strong note. We’ve faced a difficult period as many of our parents are financially constrained, and the recent fire incident, coupled with food shortages, made the situation even worse. We were almost closing the school”, he stated.

    Speaking at the school, Mrs Nyenze reaffirmed her unwavering commitment to the welfare of the people of Kitui West, especially during times of hardship.

    “When our people are in pain, we stand with them. That is leadership, and that is service,” she said.

    CWSK representative Lucy Kuria stated that the organisation is committed to ensuring a comfortable stay and conducive learning environment for the students.

    “Most of these students come from needy backgrounds and lack basic needs that is why we deemed it fit to visit and share with them,” she said.

    Photos/Videos by Jackson Mnyamwezi

  • CS Bore leads staff in planting 8000 trees in Nyamira, Bomet counties

    CS Bore leads staff in planting 8000 trees in Nyamira, Bomet counties

    Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Florence Bore, Tuesday led staff in a tree-planting exercise in Bomet and Nyamira counties.

    The initiative took place at Ibucha Primary School in Nyamira and the Chepalungu Forest where 8,000 trees were planted.

    President William Ruto last year launched a tree growing and restoration campaign targeting to plant at least 15 billion trees by 2032.

    Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) and Permanent Secretaries (PSs) are spearheading the initiative in various counties countrywide to ensure its implementation.

    Bore and PS Shadrack Mwadime commended Nyamira County residents for surpassing the national tree cover percentage which is at 12 per cent.

    The county has achieved a 35 per cent tree cover surpassing the national tree cover target of 30 per cent.

    “Our country must adapt to the effects of climate change which are already directly affecting us. Our human actions of deforestation and those of other countries which emit poisonous gasses from various manufacturing factories have depleted the ozone layer and made weather patterns erratic,” CS Bore advised.

    She regretted the devastating effects of climate change witnessed last month due to heavy rains and flooding, which the country is yet to recover from.

    “Huge losses were incurred. Some of our people in adversely affected areas were left landless and homeless while others have lost the hope of finding the bodies of their loved ones who drowned. I encourage our residents to plant indigenous trees and fruit trees because they have several advantages compared to exotic trees which have an economic advantage but slowly deplete the soil fertility” she advised.

    The CS who was joined by staff from Child Welfare Society of Kenya staff said her ministry has a target of planting two million tree seedlings.

    “I have a target of planting two million trees in two counties, one million in Bomet and another one in Nyamira.  I have planned to plant a minimum of 100,000 trees each month of my visit to ensure I attain my target. Every tree planted is closer to the goal of a better future for us and our children” she noted.

    She emphasised the importance of preserving these newly planted seedlings, urging locals residing to refrain from any activities that could disrupt their growth.

    “Ensure that the trees we plant today and subsequent months are well nurtured so that we can get value for our grand investment of restoring and conserving our environment to cushion against the effects of climate change.” she appealed.

  • Baringo principals oppose plan to scrap school feeding programme

    Baringo principals oppose plan to scrap school feeding programme

    A section of School principals from Mogotio sub-county in Baringo has urged the government to reconsider the decision to scrap the School Meals Programme from the budget estimates for this Financial Year.

    Speaking in Mogotio constituency after receiving relief food from the Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK) in partnership with the Office of Mogotio area MP, the school heads said the move is a big blow to many learners who have been depending on the programme, especially from ASAL areas such as Baringo and North Eastern region.

    Enock Yator Deputy-Principal Majimoto Secondary attributed increased school enrolment and attendance in the area to the programme.

    “We are calling upon the government to reconsider removing the school feeding progamme since most students will drop out of school. As I am talking there are some students who cannot even afford a single meal a day and the only food they depend on is the school feeding programme,” added Caroline Keter-Principal Molo Sirwe Secondary.

    “The School feeding programme is what keeps students in class removing it will be a total mess,” said David Bett, Principal, of Mugurin Secondary School.

    At the same time, leaders from the region have welcomed the intervention by the Society under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, saying it has enabled the region to deal with rampant cases of early pregnancy and forced marriages as many students opt to go to school to at least get a meal a day.

    Food insecurity has been blamed for the high number of school dropouts and absenteeism across various counties where a majority of the learners are from low-income households.

    Child Welfare has been bridging the gap through the school feeding programmes which is part of its emergency response programmes and community interventions targeting vulnerable communities where access to food remains a challenge for many households.

    More than 5000 students from mixed-day schools in the region have benefited from the programme.

    Child Welfare Society of Kenya has expanded its emergency food programme to cover more counties.

    In Tharaka Nithi County, 1,458 learners with special needs drawn from eight schools have also benefitted from the school feeding program.

    Tharaka Nithi County Woman Representative Susan Ngugi thanked the ministry for the timely support saying it will ensure the retention of learners in school.

    She further urged the government to enhance funding for special schools to adequately cater for their needs.

    Similar calls were made in Murang’a and Kiambu where 12,694 day-scholars from 60 schools in Kiharu constituency and 6,038 others in 13 schools within Kiambaa will enjoy free lunches respectively this second term.

    Videos by Jackson Mnyamwezi

  • CS Bore urges Tana residents to move from flood prone areas

    CS Bore urges Tana residents to move from flood prone areas

    The flood situation in Tana River County is worrying as heavy rains continue to pound the region.

    With water levels in the Tana River rising to critical levels, putting the counties of Garissa, Tana River, and Kilifi at a heightened risk of flooding, the government is warning residents against disregarding advisories.

    Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore who is in Tana River to oversee the delivery of emergency food and non-food supplies by the Child Welfare Society of Kenya is appealing to families in flood-prone areas to immediately move to safer grounds until the El Nino rains subside.

    The CS addressing CWSK staff in blue t-shirts (Photos by Jackson Mnyamwezi)
    Child Welfare has donated food items, mattresses, and blankets among other basic items

    She regretted that the widespread flooding had adversely affected thousands of children who were in dire need of food and other basic items as a result of displacement.

    The major effects of the floods are being experienced in the Madogo division of Tana River County where the flood victims have camped at the Bakuyu area.

    “As rains wreak havoc, our goal is to reach the vulnerable children in the affected areas. The ongoing heavy rains have led to loss of livelihoods and to some extend loss of lives with children being adversely affected by the current heavy flooding as families are displaced and consequently left in dire need of food and other basic items” she said.

    Speaking in Kipini West Ward, Garsen Constituency, the CS lauded Child Welfare which is a state agency for their intervention targeting 24,000 children in 6000 households in three sub-counties of Garsen, Hola and Madogo.

    Lorry being loaded with supplies

    “ We successfully distribute food and basic supplies targeting 24,000 children in the region with the support of the Child Welfare Society of Kenya which plays a critical role in providing national emergency response and rescue services for children in the country” she noted.

    “We aim to support at least 6,000 households with children in Garsen, Hola/Galole and Bura/Madogo” she added.

    The residents are staring at risk of disease outbreaks as the raging floods maroon several homes.

    According to Kenya Red Cross Society Tana River branch two people have died and 4000 displaced with the numbers feared to go up.

    Read related: Expect sustained rains over the next week.

    Photos by Jackson Mnyamwezi