• The Initiative for Children, Women and Youth Development formed forum to give kids a voice
• School enrolment is getting worse as some students turn to dumpsite for a living, while others suffer insecurity from it
Image: YUSSUF NASSIR
As Mwakirunge chokes in filth and crime, a vibrant children’s assembly is airing the concerns of the young as they watch their peers fall prey to its perils.
The Mwakirunge Ward Children’s Assembly is the brainchild of an organisation that offers mentorship programmes during Covid-19, targeting children who are out of school.
The organisation is called Initiative for Children, Women and Youth Development (ICWYD). It seeks to use influential members of the community to reach out to children on topics concerning them, such as life skills, child protection, early marriage and rape cases.
Ian Mwaringa, 16, the Sergeant-at-Arms at the assembly, says they launched in September with their main concern being security at the dumpsite.
“We need to have the area guarded and a perimeter wall erected so that anyone below 18 years is not allowed in as they would not be having identification cards,” Mwaringa said.
He also wants the garbage spewed on the roadside to be properly disposed of since it has blocked pathways, making it difficult for schoolchildren to pass through.
“When it rains, it gets very muddy and messy here, and some children walk barefooted. They get worms and have difficulties cleaning once in school,” he said.
Supa added that there are too many accidents, especially when the garbage is burned and smoke covers the atmosphere, making vision difficult for drivers.
“Motorbikes as well run through the iron bars and needles,” she said.
Antony Munga, 16, the deputy governor of the assembly and a Class 7 student at Mwanguja Primary School, says many children have dropped out of school due to early pregnancies and marriages.
“The government should help us children since some of our schoolmates literally operate at the dumpsite,” he said.
Daniel Riziki, 13, said the assembly has discussed about the trucks dumping garbage at the site. He said unsuspecting minors tie themselves with used bandages and prick each other with needles from the dumpsite.
“During Covid-19 period, it has been extremely dangerous and most children are not able to be online since they don’t have smartphones. So reading to them is a challenge,” Riziki said.
He said sexual harassment and intimidation at the dumpsite is frightening girls.
“Some girls told me they were threatened and told they are wives to those boys. They have to cross the dumpsite daily to access Marimani School. The school is a walking distance of one hour,” he said.
A senior teacher at Digirikani Primary School, who did not wish to be named, said this year they have 50 candidates and 73 Grade 4 students currently in school.
“The school has 763 children. Not all who are to report back have done so. I literally had to get a boy from the dumpsite. He was bright but said his family could not afford uniforms or fees,” the teacher said.
“School enrolment has been going down and it is getting worse. We had the best performers. We tried tracing them and moved a notch higher by asking their friends about their whereabouts.”
Some students live in fear of victimisation, he said, citing attacks by the gangs. He called for proper planning to solve the problem.
Jimmy Owera, the director of ICWYD, said the Initiative for Children, Women and Youth Development has so far mentored 270 children, with 123 being females and the rest male.
“Our target is basically Mwakirunge ward youth, where there is an existing youth group that we work with. We also work with the Children’s department, Sauti ya Kina Mama and the police in the cases we deal with,” Owera said.
ICWYD is planning to reach out to youth in Kilifi and Kwale as well, with the immediate area of intervention being Kisauni constituency.
Kisauni is home to the Wakali Kwanza gang. The CBO intends to recruit mentors within the community to reach out to the gangs.
“The hotspots are Bombolulu, Kadzandani, Kongowea and Bamburi, where we expect to train them on positive aspects of life,” Owera said.
When schools fully reopen, the organisation will continue with its child rights clubs, while other programmes will be rolled out over the weekends and in the evenings, when there are no classes.
Edited by T Jalio