Issue No.2, 26th Feb - 5th March 2007 KENYA ALLIANCE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF CHILDREN
Child Rights Weekly Update
National News
SCREAM Appoints Chair
Mathare Youth Sports Association has been appointed the Chair of Supporting Child Rights through Education, Arts and the Media (SCREAM) Kenya Network. The appointment took place this week at a meeting called to discuss the Network's Terms of Reference, held at KAACR office in Nairobi.
The Network's overall objective is to create a forum for stakeholders to network and collaborate on the campaign of promoting participation of boys and girls in the elimination of child labour.
During the meeting, it was agreed that the Network would facilitate establishment of a coordination committee, which will identify and recruit NGOs and agencies interested in promoting participation of children in the elimination of child labour.
Monitor and evaluate programmes addressing children participation in the elimination of child labour in Kenya, facilitate consolidation of information materials required for promotion of SCREAM methodology and facilitate regular meetings for members as often as may be agreed.
Identify the training needs of members and children to enhance use of SCREAM and other methodology that would enhance participation of children in elimination of child labour and facilitate trainings identified on child labour and child participation methodologies.
Other duties will include, identification of NGO representatives and children to participate in provincial, national and international children events on child labour, ensure districts plan and organize international children celebration days and mobilize resources.
The network will also raise awareness on legal and policy issues affecting children and lobby for formation and implementation of laws and policies.
For more information, contact Email: or
Actionaid Kenya Courses Schedule Released
Actionaid Kenya has released this year's course schedule to be offered in Kisumu. The courses will run for 4 days each beginning 5th March and end on November 9th, 2007. The courses will be conducted at the International Development Centre, Kiboswa, Kisumu.
The first course scheduled to begin on March 5th, 2007 will be on Women Rights. Other courses are Strategic planning in poverty reduction programs, Community organization/leadership, Micro enterprise and Business skills, Participatory rural appraisal, Finance for non-finance managers, Proposal writing and fund raising, Participatory monitoring and evaluation, Rights based advocacy in HIV/AIDS, Child Rights, Project management and Rights based advocacy.
Course fees range between Kshs. 23,000 - 46,000 and cover full accommodation, tuition, training materials, workshop report and field visits. One participant will be sponsored for every four paying. Certificates will be awarded upon completion of each course.
For more information, contact Email:
5TH African Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect to Focus on HIV/AIDS
The 5th African Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect will be held in Kampala, Uganda from 27th - 28th March 2007. The conference will explore strategies for developing and scaling up effective and sustainable solutions for care and protection of children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDs.
The conference is organized by the African Network for Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse (ANPPCAN), Uganda Chapter, supported by ANPPCAN head office, Nairobi and the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) among other partners.
Over 50 papers on medical issues, socioeconomic, religious and cultural issues, ethical and legal aspects, child protection strategies and other areas of special interest, will be presented. There will also be a parallel children's conference, with 50 children from across Africa living with the effects of HIV/AIDS.
For more information, contact Email:
Regional and International News
51st Session of the CSW Underway in New York, USA
The 51st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is taking place this week in New York. Hundreds of representatives of international organizations are participating in the session.
The CSW is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. It is the principal global policy-making body. Every year, representatives of Member States gather at the United Nations headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide.
This year's theme is "The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child". It is hoped that the 51st session will come up with a document that recommends prohibition and other necessary measures to eliminate corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment of girls and supports the UN Secretary General's Study goal of achieving this by 2009.
On behalf of the CSW, Human Rights Watch is publishing the following documents on line, Violence against schoolgirls, violence against child Domestic workers and violence against Girls in conflict with the law.
Fore more information, visit
(Source: Update on the Secretary-General's Study on Violence against children)
Call for Resources for UNESCO's Global Study on Violent Attacks Against Schools
UNESCO has commissioned a global study on violent attacks against schools and universities to raise awareness and is calling for statistics and figures on the issues. The report will look at the extent of violence, type of violence, perpetrators, causes and motivations, existing and suggested prevention measures and responses to such threats and acts, The report will cover in detail case studies of different countries on types of violence and response.
Figures or reports required should include, Number of pupils, students, teachers/lecturers, college, university staff and district or ministry of education officials killed in the country, number wounded and the number receiving threats of violence. The study should cover 1997-2007, but figures from the past five years are also welcome.
Violent attacks for the study refer to political attacks, sectarian, military, religious or ethnic violence deliberately targeted at education staff or buildings. The information should be sent to:
For more information contact, Email:
(Source: Update on the Secretary-General's Study on Violence against children)
Upcoming Events in Brief
National News
6 March
Public Debate
Venue: Nyeri
Contact:
8th March
Public Debate
Venue: Embu
Contact:
Regional and International News
26Feb -9 March
51st UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) conference
Location: New York
27-29 March
5thconferenceon Child abuse and Neglect
Venue: Uganda
Organizer: ANPPCAN Uganda
Contact:
21-24 May
World Conference on Children without Parental Care
Organizer: World Initiative for Orphans
Location: Hague, Netherlands
Contact:
12-15 August
4th Annual Youth Assembly
Location: New York
Contact: yaapplications @faf.org
24-26 September
First International Conference on Child Sexual Abuse in Africa
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Contact:
The Child Rights Weekly Update (CRWU) is published by Kenya Alliance for Advancement Children (KAACR) as a medium of sharing information on events happening within the child rights sector nationally and internationally. For those interested in participating in specific events, we urge you to contact the hosting organization. KAACR is a national umbrella NGO for cooperation and information exchange on children's rights in Kenya.
Compiled by:Betty Mwakelemu-Tole
Edited by:Timothy Ekesa
We welcome your contributions to the Newsupdate through the following contacts:
Head Office
P.O. Box 73637,00200,
Nairobi
Email: or
Tel: 4450256/7, 0722-780224, 0733-287964
Fax: 4450092
Coast Region
P.O. Box 2820,
Mombasa. Tel: 041-221395
Western Region Office
P O Box 6853
Kondele, Kisumu
Websites on Children Issues
Website
Child Abuse reporting
- Global Movement for Children - Lesson for Life Campaign
International
des homes, Nepal
Website
-NGOs and the UN Study on
Violence against Children
Resources on RightsBasedApproaches
- Child - to - Child Trust UK
Nyumbani Children's Home
- Mama Fatuma goodwill
children's home
- information on street children
Dear Reader, please share with us other sites on children issues!