Despite recent economic growth, nearly a quarter of the population of Kenya lives on less than $1 per day with little or no access to basic services such as education, health care, water or effective sanitation. This poverty forces many children into work and onto the streets at an increasingly young age. Abandoned by their families or burdened with the responsibility of earning income to support their families, many boys and girls are left to fend for themselves. In addition children often find themselves responsible for the care of younger siblings. Another problem faced by children in Kenya is the severe corporal punishment that still exists in the country’s primary schools. Often defended as a cultural norm this practice has been shown to increase school drop out numbers and therefore contribute to the number of children on the streets.

Of the 155,000 street children living in Nairobi it is estimated that 30% of them are girls who have faced some sort of physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Exposure to STIs and substance abuse is widespread, pregnancies are common and street abortions are often fatal.

To learn more about the children we support in Kenya, please follow the link below.

THE PROJECT: Protecting street girls, their families and communities