Grassroots sponsors children in “Watu wa Maana Street Children’s Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre” in Ruiru – just outside Nairobi Kenya. The children come from a number of traumatised backgrounds. Some have lived in homes that were abusive. Others have parents who are abusing substances and so the children have suffered from neglect. Many have then ended up either on the street or coming to the attention of the area children’s officers (official government social workers). These civil servants are well trained but have few places of safety where they can place children at risk. So they contact Watu wa Maana and ask them to provide a residential place for the child.
The purpose of the centre is to provide a safe healing environment where a child can be “rehabilitated” from the traumatic experiences they have been through. The team are wonderful and, with God’s help, lovingly provide a secure and stable space and children get better.
But that is not the end of what they hope to achieve!
Children should grow up in loving families not in institutions, no matter how loving the staff and team are. So Watu wa Maana, with Grassroots’ help, employ a social worker. Her name is Charity. Her job is to find the relatives of the child and discover if there is a loving and safe home where the child can go to live. The work is complicated and requires meeting people and discussing the needs of the child and whether the relative needs extra support if the child is to come to live with them. When the child is at the right stage of recovery, they are encouraged to go and visit the relative who has been identified as being able and willing to have the child as part of their family. If the visit goes well, a longer visit may happen. Every time the visit is evaluated. If things went well the child may be “reintegrated” into the family… permanently … with support from Watu wa Maana.
During the COVID19 lockdowns, the Kenyan government made a rule that every child who could go to live in a family home should leave the institutions and children’s homes where they were resident. This edict forced children’s homes to put reintegration plans (some of which were in their early stages) into action immediately. The Watu wa Maana team did their best to send all the children to safe homes that had enough provisions and housing. Some children had nowhere safe to go and so stayed in the centre. Others had a safe home to go, but there was little food and so the children returned regularly to Watu wa Maana to collect food parcels. When the school reopened many of the homes the children had gone to live in were far from their school and so it has been better for them to return to Watu wa Maana while their school place is transferred.
The biggest problem for some of the children has been going to stay in homes where the facilities are inadequate. Sometimes there have not been enough separate rooms. Other times no secure bathroom/washing area or safe toilet. Two of the teenage residents of Watu wa Maana went to a home that was quickly identified as needing a rebuilt, including separate lockable rooms, washing facilities and toilet. After discussion Grassroots agreed to find the money to fund a small house and facilities and you can see below pictures of that all being built. It cost Grassroots just over £1000
When the new buildings and facilities are complete, Charity will arrange for the girls to live here permanently. They, and those who lead the home, will then be supported through the reintegration process… with regular visits and anything else they need.
So… Reintegration costs!
The costs include Charity’s employed time, as she discovers a family where a child can be safely reintegrated and starts the process of conversation and suggestions. The cost includes transport, both for the children and for Charity to visit the homes. The costs include whatever is needed to make the home safe or build needed facilities. The cost includes ongoing support for the family.
If you would like to help Grassroots with these costs we would be…. grateful!