The government now wants several NGOs purporting to support children in Narok county audited, since despite their heavy presence in the locality, many vulnerable children still continue to suffer lack of school fees and other basic needs.
Consequently, the county director of Children Services Pilot Khaemba has asked such organizations operating in the area to furnish his department with a database of all their activities that are deemed to support children, warning that none of them should have any deals with children without first informing the office.
Khaemba took issue with this year’s celebrations organized by the organizations to mark the Day of the African Child, saying they ignored earlier advice from his office to channel the millions of shillings they used in the celebration to support the needy children.
“We, as the children’s office, organized the celebrations in children’s homes, where we celebrated with the vulnerable children, but we are shocked that a day after, the organizations purporting to be supporting children in the county organized another celebration without involving us,” he said.
Khaemba who was speaking at his Narok office asked the partners who support children’s education to ensure the money they receive from the donors benefits needy children.
“Partners should ask themselves how the budgets they make help children’s education in the county. I wonder why they put millions of shillings in celebrations, yet the children do not benefit from the monies,” he said.
“Why should we print T-shirts and lessos worth millions of shillings to celebrate the children, yet many children go to school in tattered uniforms? As we celebrate the day, we also need to help the children,” Khaemba continued.
The Director said despite giving direction that the much money spent in the celebrations be directed to schools to help the vulnerable children, the organizations ignored and instead went ahead in holding the celebrations in the absence of the children officers.
“Yes, it is good to celebrate, but also good to ask yourself what you are celebrating. When they are budgeting for millions of shillings for celebrations, let them also see how they can budget to help the children,” he reiterated.
However, Khaemba lauded the many children’s homes that are supporting needy and vulnerable children in the county, saying in total they were supporting about 463 children in the area.
“We celebrate the children’s homes because they are doing a credible job for the children. They are playing a very crucial in the county as they account for the children they sponsor,” he said.
By Ann Salaton
