We are a community non-profit making organization dealing with orphans and vulnerable children in the Kenyan biggest dumping site and slums,offering both rehabilitation programme and a non-formal education to destitute children.
The centre has been in existence for the last seven years with a total of 600 Orphans and vulnerable children under our care.
Since the centre was started it has led to improvement of the security in the area which was hardly known for good activities.
We have brought these children right from kindergarten to upper primary level, but we do not have resources to take them to high school. This has watered down our efforts, especially Girl children. Most of the children who finish primary level do not get support to pursue secondary education and end going back to the dumping site to join their friends to scavenge for food. There the hard core criminals take advantage to misuse them to enrich themselves. They are sexually exploited and become involved in arms trafficking, drugs and other dangerous activities. The majority have contracted HIV/Aids.
All this has watered down our efforts to transform the communities living and working in the dumping site. We are appealing for support to help these bright destitute children pursue their dreams because education eradicates poverty. After education these children will definitely change the community through sensitization programmes and bring about behaviour change to the society.
We have 10 orphans and vulnerable children who did national exams last year 2011 and passed so well,but have not gotten education sponsor for their high school education and seven from the Dandora dumping site.
We will be very happy if you can help us reach for help for these destitute helpless children,with the poverty in this environment, its only education that will eradicate this.
The centre have experience a number of difficulties despite the achievements i.e.
- since the centre was started we have been evicted ten times over rent arrears. Where we are now, we are in the eleventh premises.
- the high rate of exodus of teaching staff which has lowered the learning standards at the centre.
- the learning materials has also been a nightmare to the centre.
We now have a serious problem in our centre with the orphans and vulnerable children who did end primary school exams last year and qualified to join high school. Some of them had done the exams twice, but they are without a future of joining high school. These are children from the dumping site, so am afraid if they cannot join high school this year, they will move back to the dumping to scavenge and this will negatively affect the moral of the ones coming up behind. It's only through education that our work will be recognised.
The children are 17 in total, 5 boys and 12 girls. They are supposed to report to their high school on 7th February 2012. Any support that can be given towards education of these destitute children will be highly appreciated.
Contact: Michael Otieno at rehema62b@yahoo.com
Read about Michael and the Rehema Centre in a 2009 article from Kenya's Parents magazine here
