Child Protection Sitrep 12 Septembre 2011
Daadab:

With UNICEF support, Save the Children (SC) is working to further scale-up child protection
interventions to reach out to new arrivals settling in the outskirts of the refugee camps of
Daadab. The reorganization of the Vulnerability Screening at the Reception and Registration
sites, include referral tokens and fast-tracked transportation, facilitates a proper identification
of unaccompanied and separated children and children with other protection concerns,
including survivors of Gender-Based Violence.

Identification of separated and unaccompanied children identified at reception centres
continues. This process if followed by the Best Interest Assessment conducted by Save the
Children to trigger screening of foster care arrangements, placement in foster care or family
tracing. In the meantime, verification of the children identified through the Reception Centers
as unaccompanied or separated is on-going in order to monitor their status which sometimes
changes once they leave the centre and are reunified with their parents or relatives who
continue to arrive in Dadaab.

The Child Protection Information Management System has become an effective mechanism
for case management and reporting as it enables staff to set dates for follow-up of cases as
guided by the timeframes set in the Child Protection Case Management Standard Operating
Procedures. While in July only 217 children (120 boys and 97 girls) were registered in the
Child Protection Information Management System, a significant increase has been registered
in August with 1,508 new children (685 boys and 823 girls) registered.

Response to children with serious protection concerns through specialized, counselling
continue to be offered by five Paediatric Counsellors posted at the Child Friendly Spaces, in
Save the Children’s Office and within the children’s homes, as appropriate. Counsellors use
individual counselling, group counselling and play therapy as appropriate to aid the child’s
psychological well-being and social growth. In August, 56 children, out of which 32 girls,
benefitted from specialized counselling in August. This is bringing the total number to 390
since January 2011 (165 boys and 225 girls). Alongside this number, 110 adults have
benefitted from counselling since January 2011 to date.

The District Children’s Officer is providing support in response to custody cases (disputes
and neglect cases reported) through enforcing the law to ensure that both parties take up
parental responsibility. 70 cases have been registered in May, 88 in June, 65 cases in July and
58 in August. Some of the cases required multiple sessions before an agreement was reached
between the disputing parties and the need for referrals being made, for example to the elders
or Kadhi court, before the DCO could make a conclusive decision. The issues of custody
often arise when one parent has been called for resettlement with the children and has not
involved the other parent in the decision to leave the camps.

The Child Friendly Spaces continue to provide the opportunity for children to play, develop
their social skills and physical and psychosocial well-being, and to break ethnic barriers. As a
result of the increased focus to newly arriving refugees settling in the outskirts through the
mobile Child Friendly Spaces, more children had an opportunity to participate in play and in
culturally appropriate recreational activities.

In August, a total of 15,478 children, out of whom 3,695 girls, attended regularly Child
Friendly Spaces which is a significant increase from July for which 12,715 children were
registered. As part of an initiative to involve girls with more conservative parents in the Child
Friendly Spaces, girls’ days are held at least two times per month in each Child Friendly
Spaces to discuss issues affecting girls, such as reproductive health and how to best engage
parents in promoting girls’ education.

During the month of August, 46 new children (31 girls) were identified and placed in foster
care. In July, 36 children were placed in foster care. The total number of children in foster
care families is 442, out of which 162 females. There is an on-going verification of children
in foster care to ensure that the care arrangements are still conducive, protective and
continuous.

The monthly Foster Parent Association meeting, where most of the foster parents were in
attendance, was held to exchange on challenges faced in caring for their children. 212 foster
parents in Ifo, Dagahaley and Hagadera are currently benefiting from the Income-Generating
Activity (IGA) Project.

Eleven Child Welfare Committees across the three camps were further mobilized in August
by Save the Children Outreach Team to focus on the outskirts where the majority of newly
arrived refugees are settling. They participate in the identification of and interventions for
vulnerable children among the new arrivals.

Child Mother Support Group meetings were also held during the month of August across the
three camps during which 20 mothers share experiences to help them heal from the distress
they have experienced. Girls have developed a sense of belonging within the groups and work
to support each other as best as they can. And these meetings aim to protect them from falling
into risky behaviours such as transactional sex and drug abuse.
COORDINATION

With a view towards expanding its mandate and network to include drought affected areas of
Kenya, members of the National Protection Working Group on IDPs undertook the first half
of a two part mission to Turkana and visited Kakuma and Lokochokio (2-3 September).

The mission was able to meet with representatives from the office of the District
Commissioner, NGO partners, Immigration, Police, and civil society. Focus group
discussions in Kakuma and Lokichokio revealed that there has been an increase in the number
of street children in both locations attributed in part to the loss of livestock and inability to
sustain pastoralist living. According to the Kakuma focus group, many children living in
Kakuma host community – some as young as 9-10 years of age - work for refugees in
Kakuma camp carrying water, collecting food, and cleaning. The children are compensated
with food.

Members of the Kakuma focus group discussion expressed concern about teenage pregnancy
among host community girls working in the Kakuma refugee camp – pregnancy resulting
from a combination of sexual violence and exploitation. Women in the Lokichokio focus
group discussion also said that incidences of under-age marriage had actually decreased
because men’s families could not provide dowry as per loss of livestock.

UNICEF Child Protection will evaluate what can be done in the Kakuma host community in
terms of child protection vis-à-vis the child labor/street children situation. The National
Protection Working Group on IDPs will establish linkages to the Lokichogio Gender-Based
Violence women’s group (membership estimated to 300) with a view towards strengthening
the group’s ability to coordinate GBV prevention and response in the area.
DROUGHT AFFECTED AREAS

With a view towards scaling up child protection response in Turkana and Kitale, UNICEF,
UNHCR, IOM, Consortium of Kenya, Kenya National Commission for Human Rights and
other key actors undertook a joint mission on 7-9 September in these localities.

The team reported that child prostitution is high among the children on the streets in Kitale. In
Lodwar, many of the street children in Lodwar are orphans due to HIV which is high at 6.7%
in Turkana while the rate in Rift Valley is about 4%. A high number of GBV cases are
reported at the Gender recovery centre at the District Hospital, as many as 60 per day.

The team noted there has been much unprofessional family reunification of children from the
streets of Kitale and Eldoret and back to Lodwar, resulting in the children coming straight
back to the streets within days.