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Save the Children International Kenya has sounded an alarm on the lack of protection and prioritization of children by the government during protests. The organization released a press statement in which they detailed their concerns about the safety of children despite the closing of schools on 19th July.
“Save the Children is deeply concerned about children’s rights to education, safety, and well-being as a result of the ongoing protests across the country. The Ministries of Education and that of Interior and National Administration on Tuesday (18th July 2023) announced the closure of all day primary and secondary schools in Nairobi and Mombasa, temporarily halting education for thousands of children,” said the international organization in a press statement.
They have expressed their reservations about the disruption of children’s education such as the abrupt and unplanned closing of schools after gaining momentum from the Covid-19 interruption.
“Despite the promise to reopen the schools on Thursday (20th July 2023) upon assessment of the security situation, such disruptions of learning could reverse the gains made in the education sector, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic that saw millions of children missing out on the much needed education,” said Save the Children International.
Kenneth Sisimwo the Director of Programme Operations Save the Children Kenya and Madagascar has called upon government and opposition to take actions that protect children’s right to safe access to a quality education.
Save the Children intervention in the education sector
Save the Children has been working in Kenya since 1950 staging interventions in the education sector. They have adopted two approaches in their interventions. The approaches are:
Ready-to-learn approach
They work with the national and county governments to plan and allocate additional resources for ECD (Early Childhood Development). This approach ensures that ECD centers have quality services that can enhance the development of literacy and numeracy skills.
Building brains
This approach integrates the latest science and evidence into future programming. The strategies employed enable caregivers of the children to provide early stimulation and responsive care for children of ages 0-3. The aim is to help the infants demonstrate cognitive, socio-emotional, motor development, and communication through early simulation and responsive caregiving.
