Background

The Citizen Social Care Centre (CSCC) was founded in 1992 and officially registered by the Government of Kenya under Non-Govermental Organisations Act in 1993. It was initiated to support and promote the living standards of the community by improving the acticities and the status of the Kenyan poor. Two pilot programmes were started in April 1994 with the training of Health Volunteers who could target groups of women, children and youth.

By the end of 1995, Citizen Social Care Centres hope to have trained at least sixty health volunteers who will reach out to the Majority of the poor community within Kisumu Municipality. To date, women have formed income generating activities and some street children have been rehabilitated and repatriated.

Narrative

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

1) Identify, train and rehabilitate children in especially difficult circumstances to become good citizens

2) To promote and raise the status of women through programmes focussed on involving women up to the decision making level and income generating activities

3) Community participation with a view to promote self reliance, ensuring sustainability, mobilizing local resources and effectively integrating programmes on vairous sectors to reduce crime by increasing job availability

4) Maximise programme impact in terms of improving rights to housing, child feeding practices as part of growth, and the promotion of the importance of human settlements

5) Basic primary health care to reach all the rural and urban poor so that they are able to manage the most common illnesses

6) Information on safe motherhood, nutrition, and AIDS awareness for women

The state of poverty is responsible for a host of ills which plague Kisumu Town such as the high rate of maternal and infant mortality, malnutrition, low meaningful and profitable involvement in socio economic activities, poor sanitation, low education levels, marginalization and unplanned and large ill-fed families.

To reduce poverty and all of these negative aspects which tend to degrade humanity, Citizen Social Care Centre had to critically address women's issues and made a concentrated effort to empower women through income generating and farming activities which have been well planned and properly coodinated.

The Centre encourages women to voice their opinions on their reproductive rights as a means to reduce the number of future large families which weigh heavily on women's responsibilities.

The programme targets children and youth due to the large number of school dropouts who run away from home to the streets. Within the town these youths engaged in crime, violence and drug abuse. The youth are now engaged in drama groups which have formed a mobile theatre preformance for sentsitizing the community on various issues. Slum youths are being formed into groups who collect waste paper for recycling to generate income for themselves.

More rehabilitation centres are being identified where orghaned children or children from poor homes can be brought up in the best interest of the child, where the social, spiritual and moral well being as well as physical health of the child is emphasized. This is made possible through the cooperation we have had with the Children's Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Heritage. We believe that the reduction of street children has already reduced the amount of crime in Kisumu.

The formation of self-help groups have become very effective especially among women. The women have engaged in self help projects which can generate income to improve their conditions of living and that of their children. These projects include basket and carpet weaving. These crafts do not demand much technology and materials are available locally.

Gender equality can only be brought about through education, training and concentrated gender sensitisation for both men and women. We focus on mobilization and the creation of awareness on these issues to close gender gaps and bring about gender equality to reduce crime. Since the community has been sensitized on issues of gender, both men and women, boys and girls are involved in the fight against crime.

Women have been educated in primary health care, family planning, and the need for pre-natal and post-natal health care for mothers. We are relying on the participation of all partices concerned ie. Non-governmental organisations, Government, Community based organisations, churches and people of good will to help us prevent and reduce crime in our community.

Impact

Several STD/AIDS information volunteers

800 youths involved in the programme

200 youth have participated in three very successful preformances which have reached several persons in Kisumu with messages emphasizing on the prevention of AIDS

Many women have benefitted from income generation schemes and primary health education

50 teenage mothers have benefitted from counselling on improved living conditions (family planning health) boiling of drinking water and the use of pit latrines.

Paper recycling

Some employment opportunities for former street children

Sustainability

The programme requires a great deal of support. Education is the major component and tool to empowerment and the reduction of marginalisation. Skill training and access to current knowledge has proven to be a means towards power and wealth. The effects of education on the rehabilitation and repatriation of street children is apparent in Kisumu. For women in the area, skill training and basic education has allowed them to increase their standards of living through improved living conditions and income generation.

Contact

Kisumu Municipality
Mr. Isiaih Otieno, Nursing Officer
Kisumu
Kenya
P.O. Box 105

Sponsor

Ministry of Home Affairs & National Heritage, Children's Dept
Mrs. Christing Oketch
P.P. Box 1063
Kisumu
Kenya

Partners

Ministry of Health, Dr. Oluoch, Medical Officer of Health, P.O. Box 486
Mrs. Christine Oketch
Provincial Childrens' Officer
Kisumu
P.O. Box 1063

Ministry of Culture & Social Services, District Social Dev. Officer, Kisumu
Mr. Isiaih Otieno, Nursing Officer
P.O. Box 105
Kisumu

Mr. Mark Seda, Provincial Administration, c/o District Commisioner
Dr. Oluoch
Medical Officer of Health
Kisumu
P.O. Box 486