Child protection services in Samburu County will receive a major boost after the Embassy of Denmark through the Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) embarked on a two-year program of empowering Sisters of Mary Immaculate Girl Rescue Center a Charitable Children’s Institution (CCI) in Suguta Marmar.
Speaking during a shelter inception meeting for stakeholders in Maralal Town, James Mungai from GVRC noted that Samburu girls need protection since they are exposed to harmful cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage.
Mungai added that GVRC has been implementing a program dubbed Accelerate and saw the need to help Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors beyond treatment by removing them from unsafe environments.
“Through empowering the rescue centers we will ensure many girls who are survivors of GBV get the help they need without discrimination or charges,” he said.
He further added that the two-year program will be piloted at the Sisters of Mary Immaculate (SMI) Girl Rescue Center through resource mobilisation, funding the completion of a bakery which is part of their sustainability project, provide psycho social support for GBV survivors and oversee effective reintegration of survivors back to their families.
GVRC Samburu coordinator Dalphin Mwango mentioned that the program will further engage women and elders at the community level in understanding the negative impacts of FGM and child marriage with and aim of eradicating retrogressive cultural practices therefore eliminating the need for CCIs in future.
“We are aware that the government is in the process of phasing out CCIs by 2032 and that is why we are engaging women and elders at the community level in efforts to eradicate FGM and child marriage and consequently remove the need for rescue centers in future.” She said.
Eric Mbabu a teacher and mentor at SMI welcomed the program saying it is a lifeline to the already resource stretched 22-year-old institution.
“The support will enable our 96 girls to live in dignity like normal children in a home setting.” He said.
The shelter inception stakeholders meeting comprised of officers from National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), Department of Children Services, National Police Service, and State Department for Gender, and Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), health workers County government and Community Based Organisations (CBO) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO).
By Robert Githu
