NAIROBI, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government on Friday announced partnership with a local charity to allocate 5.8 billion shillings (about 58.2 million U.S. dollars) to promote rights and welfare of children and youth in low income settings.
Linah Jebii Kilimo, the chief administrative secretary in the State Department of Public Service and Gender, said that 7.5 million children in 26 counties will benefit from the new financing to enhance access to basic amenities like food, nutritional supplement, health and education.
Speaking during the launch of the new funding in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, Kilimo said the government had developed sound policy and legislative frameworks to boost the welfare of marginalized children and youth.
"Promoting children rights and welfare is in line with our constitution and is also anchored on national socio-economic transformation agenda," said Kilimo.
We are therefore enforcing existing laws, strengthening partnership with stakeholders from industry and civil society to sustain funding towards child welfare programs," she added.
Kilimo said that some of the interventions the government has rolled out to cushion youth and children from adverse impacts of COVID-19 pandemic includes provision of food rations, subsidized healthcare and education.
She added that establishment of call centers has ensured that incidents of child abuse were reported promptly at the height of the pandemic when learning institutions were closed.
Alice Anukur, country director of ChildFund Kenya, a local charity said a partnership with the government will hasten implementation of a four-year strategy covering 2022-2026, to promote the welfare of children aged 0 to 14 years and youth aged 15 to 24 years in 26 poor counties.
The strategy according to Anukur focuses on strengthening early childhood development and education through advocacy, innovative financing and policy reforms.
Provision of life-long skills and social safety nets is anchored on the strategy whose implementation will be supported through the new funding tranche from the government and well-wishers, said Anukur.
She added that another pillar of support for children and youth will focus on boosting their capacity to respond to climate emergencies in addition to reporting all forms of rights violation. ■
