Covid-19 has increased the suffering of vulnerable children, scholarmedia.africa can now report.
This is why stakeholders from both levels of government, non-governmental organizations, local leaders, churches and other individuals of goodwill have been called upon to offer support to children at the various homes in the country.
Sunrise Children’s home director Mary Sang states that the pandemic has caused them a lot of challenges to an extent they are struggling to meet the needs of the disadvantaged children.
Mrs Sang notes that the children’s home she manages for example which is in Baringo Central Sub County has challenges because all the 54 children from two years to 17 years of age are solely dependent on the remaining foodstuff stock which they had saved in the previous years before Covid-19 hit the country.
“We might have a very serious challenge this year because the stocks which we had have been exhausted and we are back to the same level where we were trying to contain and maintain the children at the home,” she says.
The director who founded the home 18 years ago adds that it is quite challenging trying to keep around hungry children without sufficient basic needs while also ensuring they don’t interact freely because of Covid-19 regulations and protocols.
She stated that there is need to support such children across the country for them to pursue their education careers up to the highest levels so that they can become dependable people in the society in future.
“Young children in these homes ought to be given a better life through provisions of good sanitation, stationeries, fee support as well as shoes, clothing and medical care because they did not choose to be where they are,” she explained.
Wilfred Kiplagat, chief officer (CO) for Agriculture while presiding over the Easter with the Kids event called for a concerted effort in ensuring that children in such institutions get quality education, food and other basic amenities that will sustain them throughout the year.
Kiplagat said that the county government of Baringo has identified a raft of issues like enrollment of permanent teachers who will in turn improve education standards of children residing in the various homes in the county.
The CO stated that they are also going to prioritize bursary funding for orphaned children for their smooth transition to secondary schools, the various colleges as well as universities of choice.
Baringo central children officer Irene Chepkwony took her time to caution parents not to relent in caring for their kids whenever they come back home for holiday.
She stated that it is from such breaks where young children are sexually molested and end up getting defiled and thereafter early pregnancies.
Chepkwony urged every stakeholder to make it a habit of reporting issues affecting children to the relevant authorities or by calling a toll free number 116 for the culprits to be apprehended and face the full force of the law.
Kabarnet Municipality Manager in his remarks noted that the pandemic had occasioned need of food for the needy households and those who lost their jobs within the town and its environs.
He stated that his office has partnered with a German friend known as Twin Town Association Hurth who has pledged to support in food donations and will be delivering foodstuffs in two phases to be delivered to the residents and neighbouring institutions in August and around December this year.
The Association chairman Rudiger Winkler through a video call during the celebration was impressed by the prudence and construction of the modern toilet facility funded by his organization saying it will improve the sanitation standards within the homes and will serve all children and visitors at the home.
Winkler added that his organization will continue to support the home in it’s quest of having a borehole drilled within the institution so that the young children can access clean water for the children.
