The Children’s
Support Centre is a facility deep in the rural area within Emuhaya District, Western Province Kenya offering a number of services to children.
Our focus is rehabilitating children suffering from malnutrition, physical neglect, parasitic infection, or recovering from acute illnesses when their home is unable to provide an environment for recovery. The Centre
provides both out-patient and in-patient services as well as
counselling for parents.
Why do we need a Children's Centre?
80% of the people live on less than a dollar a day in the rural
areas where Community Outreach works. Many children are in poor physical
condition due to poverty. HIV/ AIDS has left hundreds of orphans whose relatives need assistance in caring for them. The average monthly household income in the district is
30$. Neglected children often end up as street children in Kisumu or other towns.
The activities of
Children's Centre include:
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Day services for children suffering from malnutrition, parasitic infestation
and skin ailments
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Temporary short-term accommodation/ in-patient services
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Home visits to children at risk to monitor progress.
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Education for parents on childcare, particularly in the areas of nutrition, hygiene, prevention and early treatment of parasites.
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Treatment plans * for destitute children
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Support groups for grandparents caring for orphans.
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Identifying children in crisis in Emuhaya division through a network of community members.
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Training local women to be community workers to improve child welfare.
* Treatment plans
For any child who is in poor physical condition, the Children’s Centre
works with the family to draw up a comprehensive “Treatment Plan” which includes education on hygiene, how to increase food production, how to ensure the home stays parasite free and so on. This helps the child remain healthy when he/she returns home.
Short term
accommodation/ in-patient services
Children who have suffered neglect resulting in severe
parasitic infection or general poor health, resulting in
non-attendance at school and those who have been treated by
government facilities for acute diseases like typhoid and malaria
but who have not regained their health due to poor home
conditions,
can stay at the Centre up to 2 months. Children suffering from
malnutrition and jiggers are also treated as in-patients. The
Centre also assists children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
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