Helping street children into school
Kenya
We funded a three-year project to help some of the most marginalised young people, who had limited or no formal education, to successfully integrate into mainstream schools in Mombasa.
With a grant of £44,181, Consortium for Street Children developed a lauded catch-up curriculum, offered at their ‘Safe Space centre’. They worked with schools to facilitate enrolment and understanding of street children’s needs. And added initiatives to enhance environmental resilience and make the initiative more sustainable.
Impact
More than 400 young people improved their basic numeracy and literacy levels, enhancing their self-esteem and improving their chances of survival. This included some young adults too old for school, who enrolled in vocational skills training so they could take exams and earn money to support themselves. Overall:
- Essential catch-up education was given to 304 street-connected children and children from low- or no-income homes.
- 104 children enrolled in formal schooling.
- 69 studied and passed their national exams.
Through the project the children also gained access to safe shelter either with their own families, foster care, independent living or kinship care. Most have further benefitted from therapy sessions, rebuilt relationships with their families, and participated in the local community through sports in the community or school, which has helped to break down barriers.
Environmental protection and sustainability
Environmental impact was minimised and mitigated by efficient use of energy and water. Consortium for Street Children installed gutters to harvest rainwater, promoted environmentally responsible procurement, reduced waste as far as practicable, and raised awareness of their environmental activities to promote good practice.
The educational resources created have been praised by education department officials and ensure a lasting legacy.
“Thank you. Now, NGO’s will have a guide because sincerely we struggle to teach these children. We know the problem but do not know how to go about it. This has answered our how.” – Project partner