The Bogambero Children Reception Centre project (BCRC) aims at setting up a reception centre for the children who are living in the Bogambero Primary School area. (750 children)
This community is located in a highly HIV virus infected area. Female Genital Mutilations (FGM), girls' education and early marriages are also serious issues.
Due to the location (country), the rate of registered children is very low. 99% of the children are not registered. The rate of HIV infected people is very high in Nyanza Province: 15% of the population suffers from this disease. The beneficiary community is especially affected.

The lack of information and the importance of local belief on Aids make children a particularly high-risk population, even more young teenage girls who must also deal with FGM and early marriages.
These children are even more vulnerable due to the fact that some of them are not registered, i.e. they do not exist officially and therefore their rights are not recognized. Bogambero's Community reflects this situation. This project targets three main actions:

Medical service
This service, in partnership with the nearest health Centre, aims at making health care more accessible, particularly for those who cannot easily walk to the health centre: pregnant women, children and the elderly. A regular medical service will be put in place.

RIGHTS OF THE CHILD PROGRAMME
Girl child education          
Every child has the right to go to school. This rule does not allow any exceptions. Nonetheless, girls are still suffering from discrimination. Comparing with boys, girls have less chance to be educated.    

The ultimate goal is that families send their girls to school because they become conscious of the importance of girl child education and not because of the grant or because we would have forced them.

Children Registration       
A non-registered child is a child who does not exist; he or she has no rights.
Ensure that each and every child is registered

• Create registration files and provide birth certificates
• Work in partnership with local authorities
• Sensitization actions on the importance of registering newborn babies. (Work in partnership with the authorities for the procedure)

The Rights of the Child
The Rights of the Child are guaranteed and protected by international conventions as well as by Kenyan legislation. Nonetheless, these children live in an area where the protection of their rights is not an obvious topic.

ARTS & EDUCATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT

• Give the opportunity to the children to entertain themselves and learn at the same time
• Provide a place where they can express themselves                                        
• Team games
• Educational games
• Workshops
• Writing of explanatory and summary leaflets on the topics raised by the project. Children will write them with their own words and illustrate them.

• Writing of short stories or dramas by the children
• Writing of « educational » songs



 

 

FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT – FIGHT AGAINST FGM
From 24th to 27th November 2008

 

In Kenya, many tribes still practice Circumcision. The period between end of November and all of December is usually the « Circumcision time » for boys and girls. FGM (Feminine Genital Mutilation) is banned by the Kenyan legislation. However a few tribes still practice them.
Many programmes are undertaken in order to eradicate this custom.

 



Boys between 10 and 14 years old watching a football game 2 days after being circumcised.

The population of this area in Nyanza are Kurians, an ethnic group who still practice FGM. Nonetheless, part of the inhabitants, mostly the parents, denounce this custom. In order to support these reactions and promote the end of FGM, Enfants de Mabera brought its support to different local football teams who decided to come together and organize a tournament and circulate a message anti-FGM.
The teams put a lot of themselves in the tournament and in the discussion with the youngsters about FGM. Its meant to be an annual event.

As it was the first year, there was not a big change in the behaviours, however  something was different. Parents wanted the few volunteers who were there supporting the tournament to chat with their girls in order to make them change their mind and not be circumcised.

This tournament gave the opportunity to have discussions with parents, teachers, boys and girls. They all agree on the fact that they wanted to see a programme against FGM in their community in order to stop this custom « coming from another time ».



 

BCRC PROJECT IN 2009...

2009 has been a testing year for Enfants de Mabera. We were able to start some of the BCRC project programs thanks to a sponsorship program started in January 2009 which results have been really positive. Enfants de Mabera takes this opportunity to thank all the sponsors and volunteers who made this possible. We all wish 2010 will be as successful as 2009 was.

WORKCAMPS

Two international workcamps (volunteerism) took place in 2009, in July and October, gathering a total of 33 volunteers from Kenya and abroad.


Workcamp July 2009

In July, the volunteers focused their activities on HIV/Aids information and sensitization classes using quiz, Q&A and many other educational games.





Information meetings about children registration had been carried out towards the youths and their families. After those meetings a registration campaign started and 46 children could therefore receive their birth certificates in July 2009.



In addition, physical education activities had been organized, leisure education activities such as cooperative games, team games etc in order to teach the children and the youths the meaning of solidarity and help between people.



Those activities were organized in both Bogambero and Komosoko Primary schools.


Last but not least, the volunteers rehabilitated a water point spoilt by bushes and mud and also helped the community making bricks for building a nursery class in Bogambero Primary school.





Considering the great results of the July workcamp, another one had been hold in October 2009. Its main goal was to go on with the children registration (47 birth certificates made in October).

Unlike the month of July, the volunteers focused on artistic activities such as theatre, plastic art and jugglery. Considering the interest of the children for those activities, they will be undertaken more regularly with the next volunteers.

Thanks to the help of a Japanese volunteer who organized an introduction to the Japanese culture to the students, it is planned to organize a cultural exchange between the two Primary Schools of Bogambero/Komosoko and some foreign primary schools.

 

BIRTH CERTIFICATES PROGRAM

This year, the Minister of Education, Mr. Sam Ongeri, has declared that from now on, in Kenya, children would not be allowed to take the KCPE exam if they do not produce a birth certificate. From next year, 2011, they will not be allowed to access Standard 1 without such document.
Thanks to this declaration, parents of the community really understood the meaning of the Birth Certificates Program started by Enfants de Mabera in July 2009.

Exceptionally, regarding to the situation, Enfants de Mabera helped three schools to get them.

Starting this year, parents pay 150 Kenyan Shillings, the price of the actual document. Enfants de Mabera covers the remaining 200 Ksh used for the research made by the Registrar (for children born before October 1997) as well as the cost of the travel to the Registrar Office.

In March, 47 birth certificates were issued to the pupils attending Standard 8 and who did not get them last year. Those pupils who could register to the KCPE in March 2010. If they pass it, they will go to Secondary School next year.

By the end of 2010, it is expected to have registered all the students of the Bogambero Primary School.

GIRL CHILD EDUCATION PROGRAM

This year, the Girl Child Education program has started with some changes from the initial program. The situation has slightly changed and some adaptations had to be done.

It has been highlighted that some girls who are not going to school (3) this year it is because they decided to get married last year. It is important to say that this decision was going against the families' will. It seems that girls are still attracted by marriage better than school. Work has to be done by Enfants de Mabera, the schools and by the families to prevent such situations.

Fortunately, we could also see that families are pushing their children to go to school, boys and girls and that thanks to the Tobacco selling, they are able to pay the Primary school.

So the new challenging situation is now Secondary School.
More and more boys and girls want to go to Secondary School. However it is too expensive for the poorest families, no matter boys or girls.

In May 2010, and according to the same criteria used for the Primary school (family situation, interest of the child and school level of the child) and under advice of the three headmasters who really know the students, Enfants de Mabera has been able to grant 5 scholarships: two boys and three girls.
The maximum of the scholarship is of 6,000Kshs (60 €).

ART PROGRAM

This year, the art program has started with the goal of developping an art exchange with foreign primary schools.

Different activities will be implemented from June/July 2010.
Theatre, writing activities, drawing will be the main activities.

This program will allow a cultural exchange with foreign primary schools, children to use what they have learned throughout our activies and put in on paper and also it is a great opportunity for the younsters to discover a passion that they might not know by having the opportunity to lead the different groups.

FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT – FIGHT AGAINST FGM
From 12th to 18th April 2010

Enfants de Mabera together with the Football Committee of Mabera Division organized the 2nd Edition of the Football tournament against FGM, which first round was hold in 2008.

This year, 18 teams played every day between the 12th and 18th April 2010.

6 teams played as Junior and 12 teams were Senior teams from the entire area. The tournament took place in three different fields, Komosoko, Kubweye and Iraha.

The tournament was officially opened by the Counsellor of Komosoko, William Sinda, and closed at the ceremony where Enfants de Mabera gave medals, cups and balls. Medals were given to the two third teams as well as to the best players and goal keepers of both senior and junior, cups for the second and first teams. Balls were given to each participating team.

The theme of the tournament “Let’s fight FGM” was reminded at each match thanks to a short message told by the referees and thanks to the Tshirts they wore on which was written “Enfants de Mabera/ Let’s fight FGM”

3 Referees and the Chairman of the Football Committee

Enfants de Mabera organized two activities in Bogambero Primary School: a debate about FGM and also an art morning where children drew two banners explaining why FGM is not good for girls.

Those posters/ banners were shown at the final day when teams received their trophies. The children who participated in the activity received Tshirts on that same day.

As they were exposed, speeches about FGM and the importance of fighting it were made by officials of Enfants de Mabera, officials of the Tournament Organizing Committee as well as by some of the referees and a nurse of Kubweye Health centre who is also the head of the HIV/Aids department of the centre and board member of Red Cross Kuria.

MORE EVENTS TO COME...

LONG TERM VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM STARTING FROM JUNE 2010

INTERNATIONAL WORKCAMP - SHORT TERM VOLUNTEERING
From 6th to 27th July 2010

If you want to come and participate as a volunteer, contact us!!

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