Plan Kenya T + (254-02) 3870420/424,

Nairobi Development Area F + (254-02) 3870351

Kirichwa lane P.O. Box 61955-00200 Nairobi
Off Ngong Road www.plan-international.org
Nairobi, Kenya

NAIROBI DEVELOPMENT AREA

Development Plan 2007-2012

Children at the Heart of Everything that we do.

THE NAIROBI URBAN PROGRAM

STRATEGY DEVELOPED BY THE DA STAFF,

WITH SUPPORT FROM THE KENYA COUNTRY
OFFICE.

November 2007

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1. Executive Summary

Plan is an international humanitarian child centered community development

organization without religious, political or government affiliation. The
organization operates in 8 districts in Kenya. These are Nairobi, Tharaka, Kwale,
Kilifi, Kisumu, Homabay, Bondo, and Machakos. Although the organization is not
affiliated to the government, it collaborates with the government in power to
support child centered community development programs.

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Plan has worked in Nairobi for over ten years; programs have been undertaken using
sponsorship funding which is a key fund raising strategy for the organization.
However the strategy has been a challenge in the informal settlements of Nairobi
due to mobility of the communities caused by social economic factors on the
ground. Plan Kenya has great strength in implementation of rural based
programs as reflected by the diversity of the rural programs it is currently
working in. Nairobi Development Area has experienced a need to have distinctive
programs and strategies that are in harmony with urban realities. This has
therefore necessitated an urban development plan that will deliver the urban
programs in the most efficient manner. This development Plan will mainly be
funded through grants as outlined below (See resource mobilization section). The
focus of the operations will be the greater Nairobi province and the key program
focus will be in two areas namely child protection and the youth
empowerment. The Development Plan has been planned to cover five years
from 2007 to 2012 upon which it will be reviewed to conform to emerging issues.

To realize the DA goals and objectives the DA will adopt various approaches and
strategies including Child centred Community Development approach (CCCDA),
working through partnerships, institutional capacity strengthening of children
and youth organizations, and advocacy among many others that are highlighted
in this report.

The process of coming up with the development plan started in the year 2006 when
Plan conducted a situational analysis in four locations in Nairobi namely Mukuru,
Soweto, kawangware and Kangemi Informal settlements. Based on the study and
other studies conducted by other stakeholders such as UNICEF, UNDP etc many
issues revolving around child protection and youth empowerment came up.
There were also discussions with numerous stakeholders including communities
on the ground on the various issues affecting the children and community in
general. The DA staff have also been instrumental in its design and development.
A lot of lessons have been drawn from the past experiences that Plan has had
working in Dagoretti Division.

The development plan has also incorporated Plan global issues and a lot of inputs
have also been received from the Plan Kenya country office. The development
plan has also taken cognize of the various government strategic and policy
documents, Plan Kenya Country strategic (CSP), Plan Country Program Outlines
(CPOs) and Child Centred Community Development approach; a rights based
program approach that Plan international has adopted. The paper has therefore
been developed through a participatory process in appreciation of the critical
role that all stakeholders play in survival, development, protection and
participation of children.

2. Introduction
Children bear a disproportionate brunt of poverty. Poverty reduction must begin with
children who are often hardest hit. Poverty causes lifelong damage to children’s
minds and bodies and they are therefore likely to pass poverty on to their children,

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perpetuating the poverty cycle. UNICEF states that more than half a billion children
representing a staggering 40% all children in developing countries, are currently
struggling to survive on less than $1 a day. Poverty is the main cause of millions of
preventable child deaths each year. It causes tens of millions of children to go
hungry, miss school or be exploited in hazardous child labour (UNICEF, 2000)i.
Through the investment of a very modest share of the world’s annual income, all
children could achieve a minimum standard of living, including access to adequate
food, safe water and sanitation, primary health care and basic education.

The near universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is an
indication of governments’ political commitment to end child poverty. As a
precondition for reducing poverty, every person must receive the opportunity to lead
a long, healthy, creative and productive life and to enjoy an adequate standard of
living, freedom, dignity, self-esteem and respect.

This document expounds Plan Kenya’s Nairobi Development Area’s five year strategic
plan to support the process of improving access to, and quality of, health care,
education, water and sanitation, livelihoods and child protection. It outlines how the
participation of the poor, as well as children themselves, combined with policy
advocacy, will contribute to poverty reduction and the fulfillment of human rights.
The intention behind the development of this strategic plan is to guide Plan Kenya’s
work in Nairobi Development Area (DA) to:

• Better respond to the challenges of alleviating child poverty by providing a

clear rationale for Plan’s future programme approach

• Better understand and respond to the many issues which affect the lives of
children in Nairobi

• Better harness the collective intelligence, energies, qualities and creativity

of all Plan staff working in Nairobi together with the children, their families,
communities and partner organizations

• Better grasp the opportunities and harness resources that are constantly
arising to help children realize their full potential over time

2.1 Plan’s Vision

Plan’s vision is of a world in which all children realize their full potential in societies,
which respect human rights and dignity.

2.2 Plan’s Mission

Plan strives to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children
in developing countries through a process that unites people across cultures and
adds meaning and value to their lives through:

 Enabling deprived children their families and their communities to meet their
basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in and benefit from
their societies
 Fostering relationships to increase understanding and unity among peoples of
different cultures and countries
 Promoting the rights and interests of the world’s children

2.3 Nairobi DA Mission

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Empowered urban communities where children and youth realize their full potential

2.4 DA Purpose/Goal

Enhanced capacity of urban communities in Nairobi to facilitate and actively

participate in development processes of engagement that enable children and youth
realize their full potential and enjoyment of rights.

2.5 Principles

In its program design and delivery, the DA is guided by the following seven
principles:
 Child centeredness
 Learning
 Integration
 Gender equity
 Empowerment and sustainability
 Environmental sustainability
 Co-operation

Plan Kenya implements programs in collaboration with communities in the following

five critical and inter related “domains” (areas of work) organized around:
 Health (Growing up healthy)
 Education (learning)
 Habitat (Environment)
 Livelihood (Family livelihood)
 Building Relationship

2.6 Plan’s Working Values

Children are at the heart of everything that we do. We advocate for, promote and
value child rights and we create opportunities for meaningful child participation. We
have the potential and responsibility to make our world one in which each and every
child has the opportunity to fully develop all aspects of her/his unique personality and
talents within a supporting family, community, and society.

Six value statements guide our work and our relationships:

1. We are ethical, honest, transparent, and place a high value on integrity.

2. We are accountable to all of our stakeholders in our communication, finances,
performance measures and results and strive for effectiveness, sustainability and
efficiency in everything we do. We adhere to recognized international standards.
3. We create the conditions in our work, in our activities and in our organization for
personal empowerment, especially of children and the most marginalized.
4. We respect child rights and human rights and we believe in everyone’s innate and
inalienable dignity as human beings regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity,
religion, class, or disability.
5. We acknowledge that we cannot solve problems of poverty alone but can do so
through team work and mutual partnerships.
6. We strive for continuous learning and improvement. We listen to new ideas and
encourage entrepreneurial activities, innovation, creativity, and change.

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3. Nairobi Development Area
Nairobi Development Area (DA) undertakes child centered community development
programs in two locations of Dagoretti Division namely Kawangware and Riruta.
Entry in these communities followed a baseline survey conducted in 1995. Based on
the findings and the poverty level, the two communities were identified as plan’s
area of operation in Nairobi. However, in line with CCCDA and a recent urban study
conducted in 2006 the DA intends to work in the greater Nairobi Province. The
transition from Riruta and Kawangware will be systematic in the next two years with
a sharp focus on capacity enhancement geared towards sustainability and
maintenance of community momentum in demanding for their rights from their duty
bearers.

Nairobi Province has now been sub-divide into 3 districts as indicated below.

Name of District and Est. Population byNumber of

Divisions division households per
Division
Nairobi Province 2,143,254
Nairobi West District
Dagoretti, 240509 73670
kibera 286739 89086
westlands divisions 207610 61258

Nairobi East District

Embakasi 434884 133437
Makadara 197434 58032
Nairobi North District
Kasarani 338925 109149
Central 234942 69958
Pumwani 202211 54801
CBS -This is as per the 1999 census. Figures quoted by the Nairobi province PCO, in
the “OVC Cash Transfer program for Nairobi.”

4. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS/CRITICAL ISSUES

4.1 Child poverty

The growth of Kenya's urban populations is rapid and highly characterized by all
indicators of hardcore poverty and absolute poverty (KIHBS 2005/6). Poverty in
Nairobi is quite apparent, with high levels of unemployment, high levels of urban food
poverty, high income disparities, challenges of physical planning, urbanization,
pollution, inadequate social services and amenities all of which have increased child
poverty in Kenya Addressing child poverty requires urgency because children are
disproportionately affected by poverty. Childhood is the most crucial development
period in an individual's life. In any poor population, children are most vulnerable.
Studies show that disadvantaged households have high parity than their non-poor
counterparts resulting in children being over represented among the poor. Children's
potentials are undervalued. Policy makers and planners tend to view children as
dependants, and therefore focus on ways to distribute the costs of children between
the family, the community and the state. Recent research, along with Plan’s own
experiences of children and child participation indicate that this view is wanting. An
emerging view is of children as social actors in their own right, able to act with

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volition, holding social and economic power and actively determining the shape of
society (Plan, 2002)1. Observations of children in Nairobi running errands and
hawking small goods and looking after siblings support this view. The roles and
contribution of children to their households and communities need to be taken into
account in the process of developing poverty alleviation strategies and policies.

4.2 Inadequate access to Health

The infant mortality rate (IMR) in Kenya has shown significant progress improving
from 67% per 1000 in 1995 to 66% in 2000 and is projected to drop to 59% by 2010.
The Maternal Mortality rate (MMR) has also been on decline although a lot need to be
done yet. The MMR was reported as 365 per 100,000 in 1995 to 230 in 2000 and is
projected to be 170 by 2010. To reduce IMR the DA is committing to child survival
programs that would lead to measles vaccine improved from the 2006 proportionate
of 74.5% and full immunization coverage of 59.2% (2006). Other programs would
include school health promotion. To contain the MMR the DA would invest in
programs that enhance safe motherhood which is projected to increase from 45 to 95
by 2010, the DA would have to invest in family planning programmes, peer
education.

4.3 Inadequate access to Education

Ensuring that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling cannot be
achieved without eliminating the barriers that keep children out of school. Reaching
the hard-to-reach – including children affected by unwanted pregnancy, abortion, HIV
and AIDS, working children, Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and children with
disabilities or those who live in institutions – is critical to achieving education for all.
The school environment needs to be safe, protective and free of violence if children
are to be encouraged to attend and remain in school. Child marriage leads to the
isolation of, particularly, the girl child and to early drop-out from school. Economic
hardship can displace families, separate children from their parents and disrupt their
education. Child labour prevents children from attending school.

Presently, a large number of children enrolled in the government’s free primary

education programme have dropped out of school. Most are from informal
settlements. The Plan Baseline Survey 2003² reveals that only 11% of children in
Nairobi DA have appropriately completed primary education while a meager 28%
completed secondary education or formal or non formal post primary education. The
high school drop out rates among slum children is attributed to high prevalence of
risky behavior such as prostitution, alcoholism and drug abuse (APHRC, 2004)5.
Although high numbers of children are not completing formal education, there are
very few non-formal opportunities for young people. Skills training have largely been
entrusted to private Vocational Training Institutions (VTIs), the majority of which are
neither regulated nor approved by the government. Other institutions that offer skills
training include tertiary colleges and the Kenya Polytechnic, but these only enroll
post-secondary school students who have excelled in national examinations. These
institutions charge exorbitant fees far above the reach of the urban poor whose
children mostly do not meet the admission requirements as they are often sent away
from school for lack of levies. Further education/skills training are denied to the large
number of primary school dropouts and those who do not pass national examinations
with competitive grades, are effectively excluded them from the job market and this
severely restricts their ability to earn any income. These factors particularly affect
girls and young women. In some communities, cultural practices such as early
marriages and Female Genital Mutilation have led to very low enrollment rates and

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high drop out rates in both formal and informal learning institutions

4.4 High HIV/Aids infection and weak management structures

The HIV and AIDS pandemic is not only threatening the physical health and survival
of millions of children around the world, it is destroying their families and depriving
them of parental love, care and protection. Stigma and discrimination associated with
HIV infection, often lead to exclusion and isolation and ruin a child’s chances for
education. Children whose families are affected by HIV and AIDS experience severe
emotional and psychological distress. Economic hardship resulting from their parents’
inability to work causes children to drop out of school and become child laborers.
Children are often forced to assume the burden of caring for sick parents or for their
siblings. Children orphaned by HIV and AIDS are more exposed to exploitation, abuse
and violence. Conversely, many situations in which children have inadequate
protection – including sexual exploitation, trafficking, violence, recruitment into
criminal groups, displacement, detention, child marriage, unequal power relations
(e.g. marriages of young girls to older men, sexual coercion and trickery) and female
genital mutilation/cutting – also make them more vulnerable to HIV infection. The
fight against HIV and AIDS must include efforts to prevent abuses that make children
particularly vulnerable. For children orphaned or otherwise affected by HIV and AIDS,
protection is a priority. Child sexual abuse contributes to infection among young
people. Reducing recourse to detention for children in conflict with the law decreases
their vulnerability to infection, given the high rates of transmission for incarcerated
people.

In 2005, the number of children less than 15 years old living with HIV was estimated
at 2.3 million. Of these, 700,000 were newly infected. More than half a million
children (570,000) died of AIDS during the same period. Some 62% of the world’s
young people are infected with HIV and about 80% of the children orphaned by AIDS
live in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the onset of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the early
1980s, the proportion of women with HIV has risen steadily. Today, nearly half of
those who are HIV positive are women or girls (UNICEF 2006)ii.

In Kenya, the HIV and AIDS pandemic deserves special consideration given that it
impacts negatively on all sectors of the economy. Over 90% of infections are through
sexual contact. According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey 2003, Nairobi is
ranked second highest to Nyanza Province, with a 9.9% HIV infection rate, well above
the national infection rate of 6.7%. Most of AIDS related deaths occur among young
people between the ages of 25 to 35 years (men) and 20 to 30 years (women) (MOH,
2000)4. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable because they lack power over
their sexuality. Women constitute the majority of the poor and the illiterate in both
urban and rural areas in Kenya and many young women between the ages of 15 and
25 have been forced into commercial sex work thus increasing their risk of
contracting HIV infection.

4.5 Environmental Degradation

Environmental issues have given rise to health problems that greatly contribute to
high mortality rates. These include high incidences of malaria, typhoid, diarrhea and
cholera, as well as acute respiratory infections, especially in children under five. Slum
areas contribute a huge proportion of this rate. In the informal settlements of Nairobi,
the most common dwellings consist of a single room, accommodating an average of
4 to 6 persons Environmental degradation increases household vulnerability, which
can in turn increase the pressure for child labour, as well as for sexual exploitation
and child marriage. Overcrowding of neighborhoods and homes in the Nairobi

8
informal settlements put severe strains on environmental resources, which may lead
to domestic stress, violence or sexual abuse in the home. Deteriorating
environmental conditions account for a large share of ill health, hardships and early
deaths. Some of the worst sites of ecological distress in Nairobi, are found in the
informal settlements such Kawangware, Riruta, Kangemi, Soweto and Mukuru where
there is endemic poverty and sub-standard housing. Since the land tenure system in
these areas is not clear, these areas are not recognized by the government and
hardly are they considered in the provision of basic services. These areas are
characterized by environmental degradation manifested in uncollected waste,
blocked sewerage systems, poor drainage systems, stagnant water, and inadequate
toilets.

Environmental issues have given rise to health problems that greatly contribute to
high mortality rates. These include high incidences of malaria, typhoid, diarrhoea and
cholera, as well as acute respiratory infections, especially in children under five. Slum
areas contribute a huge proportion of this rate. In the informal settlements of Nairobi,
the most common dwellings consist of a single room, accommodating an average of
4 to 6 persons

Communities in these areas experience insufficient water supply. This is attributed to

poor supply systems in the areas. Water supply from Nairobi City Council is erratic
and irregular. Dubious water vendors have taken advantage of this situation and
supply the residents with water that is both expensive and from dubious sources.
Often, this water is contaminated and hence a health risk. On average, households
pay ten to twenty times more than they would for piped water (IDRC, 2005) 5.
Infrastructure, if provided at all, is extremely basic consisting of earth roads and
paths, earth drains, communal water points and a few pit latrines each shared by as
many as 60 people (African Recovery Vol. 15, 2005).
Access to adequate water supply is not only a fundamental need but also a human
right. Access to water supply has considerable health and economic benefits to
households and individuals. On the one hand, the lack of access to adequate water
contributes to deaths and illness, especially in children. Most frequent diseases
related to poor water supply and sanitation includes diarrhoea, intestinal worms,
trachoma, schistosomiasis and cholera. Many children below 5 years admitted to
public hospitals suffering from malnutrition, anaemia and retarded growth are from
informal settlements. Though lack of adequate food can not be down played,
intestinal worms contribute significantly to malnutrition.
.

4.6 High Unemployment rates

The population of the youth in the urban settlements in Kenya has been steadily
rising due to influx from rural areas in search of employment upon completion or
dropping out of school. This is caused by the poor rural economy that does not
provide for opportunities for employment. Nairobi being the capital city attracts the
highest number of young people looking for jobs. When dawned with the realities of
unemployment and lack of envisaged opportunities in the capital city, majority of
youth become frustrated and are forced to live in informal settlements. Kawangware,
Kibera Mathare, Riruta, Kangemi, Mukuru and Soweto among others present classic
examples of the urbanization of poverty. Poverty in these locations is high as evident
by lack of empowerment, security, income and abuse of human rights.

5. VIOLATION AGAINST CHILDREN

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5.1 Introduction
Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is an integral component of
protecting their rights to survival, growth and development. Plan’s commitment to
protecting children is underlined in the Strategic Framework for Sub-Saharan Africa
(Figure 1); Global Strategic Directions; Plan Programme Principles; Child Centred
Community Development Approaches (CCCDA) (Figure 2) ; the Plan Kenya Country
Strategic Plan (CSP) FY 2000-2009; the Country Programme Outlines (CPOs); United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) ; and Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Child protection is a relatively new area of work for Plan
but is becoming increasingly important. The current Country Programme Outlines
have included child protection elements and Plan Kenya has articulated a clear
approach to child protection. Senior Management at Plan Kenya is quite keen and
actively involved in monitoring compliance with Plan’s child protection policy. This is
monitored by follow up on action points for the Risk Based Audit and through
quarterly reports.

Violations of children’s protection rights include acts of commission - events in which

harm is actively perpetrated against children, such as when a child is beaten. It also
includes acts of omission in which a child is neglected and his or her rights to basic
needs and services such as food, shelter, education, health care and interaction with
others are denied. Child abuse is most frequently manifested in the physical, sexual
and emotional abuse experienced by children at the hands of their caregivers.
Violence against children includes gender-based violence, such as domestic violence
and genital cutting, self harm and violence perpetrated through institutions such as
the judicial and penal systems.

An estimated 300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation

and abuse including the worst forms of child labor in communities, schools and
institutions; during armed conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital
mutilation/cutting and child marriage. Millions more, not yet victims, also remain
without adequate protection (UNICEF, 2000)6.

A Child Poverty Study “Borrowing Utensils” conducted by Save the Children UK in

2002-2003 in “Mukuru kwa Ruben” slums examined factors at the international,
national, community and household level that impact on child poverty and children's
basic rights to survival and development as outlined in the UNCRC. The study found
that poor households in “Mukuru kwa Ruben”, which forms 50 - 55% of the
population, lives on Kshs. 40,000 - 100,000 per year (US$ 500 - 1250), which
translates to less than 0.55$ per person per day. This is considerably less than the
minimum US $ 1 per person per day recommended in the Millennium Development
Goal (Save UK, 2005).

A study conducted in Nairobi on children living and working in the streets indicated
that 37% of the caretakers of the children are children themselves, mostly girls
(WERK, 2004)7. In Nairobi child labour is on the increase with a lot of children
especially girls engaging in domestic child labour to earn a living, yet they do this
under deplorable conditions. The boy child is heavily exposed to hawking, petty
trade, theft and glue sniffing as well as to street life.

Violations of the child’s right to protection take place in every country and are
massive, under-recognized and under-reported barriers to child survival and
development, in addition to being human rights violations. Children subjected to
violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect are at risk of death, poor physical and

10
mental health, HIV and AIDS infection, educational problems, displacement,
homelessness, instability and poor parenting skills later in life.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) outlines the fundamental rights of
children, including the right to be protected from economic exploitation and harmful
work, from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse, and from physical or mental
violence, as well as ensuring that children will not be separated from their family
against their will. These rights are further refined by two Optional Protocols, one on
the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and the other on the
involvement of children in armed conflict.
Kenya is yet to develop the National Action Plan which would deal with child
protection issues. However, Plan Kenya has a draft action plan for rolling out the
dissemination of the Child Protection Policy with clear strategies of how to deal with
child protection issues. In implementing Plan’s child protection policy, the greatest
challenge has been gaps in the national legal and policy framework that is further
compounded by complacency of the judicial system and the inconsistencies in
meting penalties to child abusers. Levels of awareness on rights of the child are still
fairly low in the country. There is need for a concerted effort between the
Government of Kenya and the Civil Society Organizations to develop standard Child
Protection Policy Guidelines.

5.2 Guiding Frameworks

5.2.1. Figure 1. Plan Strategic Framework for

Sub Saharan Africa
Plan’s strategic framework for Sub Saharan Africa is
graphically represented by the four concentric
circles, with the child at the heart of the framework.
Each circle represents a theme, with the themes
closest to the centre being the ones most
immediate to children’s lives, and therefore, in most
cases, representing a higher program priority.
Moving outwards from the centre represents an
expansion of the influence of children, their families
and communities, beyond survival, development
and protection to communicating, participating and
advocacy.
Children’s survival and development issues are analyzed in theme one. How to
protect children in especially difficult circumstances and prevent them from coming
to harm is analyzed in theme 2. Ensuring that children have the means to
communicate and fully participate in the society they live in is discussed in the
theme 3. Theme 4 looks at how information and knowledge can enable children,
their families, communities and civil society to have more influence over their
surroundings. The Nairobi DA strategic plan fits within this strategic framework and
covers the four thematic areas that children and their families together with their
wider society (civil society), the private sector and government) are:

 Surviving and Developing through programs to enable children and their

communities to reduce their poverty and have access to and utilize, basic
social services
 Protecting and Preventing children from harm, disasters, abuse and
conflict by giving them the protection they need to grow into healthy adults
 Communicating and Participating by linking children and their
communities with each other and their world, and at the same time helping to
foster civil society and good governance

11
  Learning and Advocating by being informed, learning from each other and
articulating clear positions on issues that affect Africa's children

5.2.2 Figure 2. Child Centred Community Development (CCCD) Framework

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12
Child Centred Programmes
Nairobi DA will use strategies and community development approaches that put child
centeredness into practice and work more directly with children and their
communities to promote children’s rights, facilitate children’s participation in the
development process, re-orient projects to address the issues that children identify
and their causes and participate together with children, adult community members
and other partners in policy discussions at local, national and international levels.

Facilitating participation
The Nairobi DA strategic plan also adheres to Plan’s Child Centred Community
Development Approach. Children’s participation and issues will be at the forefront of
Plan-community relationship. Programs will be founded on indigenous knowledge and
practices and strategies will be based on capacity building of the communities to
address their issues. Plan will facilitate the interaction of children and community
members with district and national level institutions. These officials are often
unaware of the living conditions of children in poor urban communities. The
participation of children and adults from these communities in district situation
assessment and planning activities can be very effective in extracting commitments
to improve service delivery.

Supporting groups and organizations

The voices of poor people are not normally heard in decision-making processes and
their concerns are not normally addressed. The capacity of poor children and adults
to influence decisions and improve their circumstances is enhanced by forming their
own organizations (CBOs and Common Interest Groups) in which they can work
together and exercise a common voice. One of Plan’s key roles will be to facilitate the
formation of children’s and community groups and organizations to work together on
the development issues that they have identified, to implement their own projects
and advocate for their rights.

Partnership, Networking & Relationship Building

The Nairobi DA will help transform and strengthen relationships and facilitate the
building of relations between the various players who can make a positive
contribution to the realization of children’s potential. Building Relationships, one of
Plan’s key developmental activities, will continue within the family, within the
community, with developmental partners at local level, with the national government
and indeed at the international level with individual donors, groups of donors,
traditional donor agencies and the private or corporate sector.
In order to promote sustainability, Plan will facilitate the community to mobilize
resources as much as possible from community and local sources. Plan’s resources
will be used to fund only those aspects of the program for which local resources
cannot be found. Communities will be assisted to identify and mobilize their own
resources, access resources from local government and NGOs, identify and
strengthen positive indigenous knowledge and practices and generate new sources
of funds.
5.3 Violence against Children
Violence against children includes physical and mental abuse and injury, neglect or
negligent treatment, exploitation and sexual abuse. Violence may take place in
homes, schools, residential care facilities, on the streets, in the workplace, in prisons
and in places of detention. It can affect children’s physical and mental health, impair
their ability to learn and socialize, and undermine their development as functional
adults and good parents later in life. In the most severe cases, violence against
children leads to death. Girls in Africa are particularly vulnerable to various forms of
violence - both by virtue of their gender and because of the socio-economic and

13
cultural conditions prevailing in their communities. African girls experience violence
in the classroom, at home and in the community, and, in times of conflict and crisis,
are special targets of violence. In their communities, girls face physical, sexual and
psychological violence, and are harmed through inequalities in access to resources.
Gender plays an important role in patterns of violence and stereotypes, and
traditions are often used to justify violence against girls and women.

Many forms of violence against children are accepted by society, including abusive
power relationships, female genital mutilation/cutting, corporal punishment as a
method of discipline, and child marriage. Incidences of violence against children are
a daily occurrence in Kenya generally and in Nairobi in particular. The level of sexual
violence is shocking with the UN study on Violence in Kenya revealing that 89% of
rapes of children are committed by family members or close family friends (UNICEF,
2004)8 . A new wave of violence against children is sweeping through the country.
Since January 2006, 1,179 children have been violated in Nairobi alone. The violence
ranged from physical to sexual abuse, abduction and neglect. A recent report by
Children Legal Action Network (Clan) also indicates that there were 68 cases of
sexual violence against children in Nairobi in the month of May 2006 while 77
children were physically violated in the months of July and August 2006. Seventy per
cent of the physical abuse cases occur in the family and they include excessive
punishment, burning, scalding, biting and violent shaking and 22% of the cases which
involved excessive punishment, were in schools and perpetrated by teachers (The
East African Standard, 2006)9. The results of a retrospective survey on violence
against girls conducted by the African Child Policy Forum suggest that in any group of
10 Kenyan girls, all will be physically and psychologically abused, eight or nine of
them will be sexually abused, while two of these young girls will be raped. The
research team found that out of 500 young women from different social sectors in
Nairobi, 99% had been physically abused as a child, 96% psychologically abused and
85% sexually abused (ACPF, 2006)10.
A number of risk factors that contribute to violence against children include the
emotional state of parents, lack of or poor bonding between children and their care-
givers, family crisis and undesirable characteristics of children. The emotional state
of parents could be attributed to depressive illness or extreme stresses that result in
violent outbursts, anti-social personalities and criminal tendencies. Unexpected
pregnancies or closely spaced children may overwhelm the caregiver. Unwanted
children at home especially in step-parent relationships and undesirable
characteristics of a child such as mental challenges and physical handicaps also lead
to children being victims of violence.
5.4 Low Birth Registration

Birth registration is the official recording of the birth of a child by a state

administrative process. It is the permanent and official record of a child’s existence
and is fundamental to the realization of children’s rights and practical needs.
Securing children’s right to a nationality will allow them to get an identity, an
identification card, a passport, open a bank account, vote and get employment. It
helps ensure access to basic services, including immunization, health care and school
enrollment. Birth registration is also essential in protection efforts, including:
preventing child labour by enforcing minimum-employment-age laws; ensuring that
children in conflict with the law are not treated as adults; countering child marriage;
and reducing trafficking. Particularly in remote areas and urban informal settlements,
parents often do not see the benefits of their own citizenship, let alone the benefits
that birth registration would confer on their children. Awareness-raising campaigns
can help encourage parents to register their children. In Kenya’s urban areas, 36% of

14
children under age 5 are denied the first right of citizenship – the right to birth
registration.

5.5 Child Marriages

Child marriage is a violation of human rights and it represents perhaps the most
prevalent form of sexual abuse and exploitation of girls. The harmful consequences
include separation from family and friends, lack of freedom to interact with peers and
participate in community activities, and decreased opportunities for education and
realizing potential. Child marriage can also result in bonded labour or enslavement
(e.g. to pay a father’s/guardian’s debt), commercial sexual exploitation and physical
violence. Because they cannot abstain from sex or insist on condom use, married
girls are often exposed to such serious health risks as premature pregnancy, Sexually
Transmitted Infections (STIs), obstructed labour, having children with low birth weight
and increasingly, HIV and AIDS and maternal mortality. Parents and guardians
consent to child marriages out of economic necessity.

5.6 Children in Conflict with the Law

Most children in conflict with the law have committed petty crimes or such offences
as, truancy, begging, hawking, drug and alcohol experimentation. Some children who
engage in criminal activities are influenced or coerced by adults. Quite often,
prejudice related to social and economic status may bring a child into conflict with
the law even when no crime has been committed, or result in harsh treatment by law
enforcement officials. Justice systems designed for adults lack the capacity to
adequately address children’s issues and are more likely to harm than improve a
child’s truancy.

Child protection services are poorly established in Kenya and law enforcement and
the judicial system are ill-equipped to handle child offenders and are often abusive
towards children. In many prisons and institutions, in Kenya, children and young
persons are often denied the right to medical care, education and individual
development. Borstal institutions (children’s prisons and approved schools) such as
Kabete Approved School in the outskirts of Nairobi have collapsed through
government neglect. Children increasingly find themselves incarcerated in adult
prisons. To guarantee these children’s rights, what is required is involvement of the
child, family members, victims and communities to address conflicts with the law
using alternatives to custodial sentencing such as counseling, community service and
probation.
5.7 Child Labour
The exploitation of children includes their involvement in economic activity that is
likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education or to be harmful to
the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. Child
labour and the worst forms of child labour, as defined by International Labour
Organization (ILO) Conventions, damage children’s health, threaten their education
and lead to further exploitation and abuse. Plan Kenya recognizes that children may
perform light work at home, on the family farm or for a family business – as long as
that work is not a danger to their health and well-being, and if it doesn’t prevent
them from going to school and enjoying childhood activities such as the right to play.

In 2004, there were 218 million children engaged in child labour, excluding child
domestic labour. Some 126 million children aged 5–17 are believed to be engaged in
hazardous work. It is estimated that children represent 40–50 per cent of all victims
of forced labour, or 5.7 million children are trapped in forced and bonded labour.

15
Children working in the home of a third party or ‘employer’ are extremely vulnerable
to exploitation and abuse. ILO estimates that more girls under age 16 are in domestic
service than in any other category of work or child labour (UNICEF 2000)6. Child
domestic work remains a highly sensitive issue because it is so often masked by
kinship arrangements within a supposedly protective environment where children –
often girls – are learning useful skills. Child domestic work therefore enjoys social
tolerance similar to that displayed towards agricultural work. Moreover, in Kenya it is
supported by the educated elite. Again, this illustrates the importance of the cultural
dimension in an understanding of its causes, and of the measures needed in
response. The gender dimension also emerges: for example, boys are more likely to
be paid for domestic tasks than girls, who spend much longer on such tasks. In
Kenya, Children are often underpaid or not paid at all and work extremely long hours.
Media content analysis indicate that under age girls who work as house helps in
Nairobi households typically wake up as early as 4.00 a.m and go to bed at about
11.00 p.m. The Government of Kenya has recently reported that 1.9 million children,
between the ages of 5-17, are working children. Only 3.2% of these children have
attained a secondary school education and 12.7% have no formal schooling at all
(ILO, 2006)11.

Child domestic workers in informal settlements are subject to verbal, physical and
sexual abuse by employers and are isolated from other children. This engenders
feelings of low self esteem and in extreme cases, trigger perpetration of violence
including murder, by domestic workers against the employers’ family members. The
challenge of responding to child domestic labour is enormous, and remains largely
unmet in Kenya.

5.8 Sexual Exploitation

Sexual exploitation of children is one of the worst forms of child labour and a modern
form of slavery. Sexually exploited children are always scarred for life and often
treated as criminals. Although no reliable data exists, cases of child sexual abuse in
Kenya include adult pedophiles assaulting children and remunerating them in cash or
in kind, threatening to kill them or bribing their caretakers and the police to avoid
legal action (“Robbing the Cradle”, CRADLE, Care Kenya & Kenya Television Network,
200612. The media in Kenya has also highlighted cases of rape, incest and
commercial sexual exploitation against children. Communities are often reluctant to
intervene in cases of sexual exploitation due to lack of knowledge, lack of
understanding about the harm to children, fear and intimidation, or for economic
reasons. For example, the media recently reported a commercial sex worker in
Nairobi’s Mathare slum was arrested for forcing her two pre-teen daughters to have
sex with her male clients for money. According to UNICEF, 25% of girls and women in
Kenya between age 12 and 24 lose their virginity through force. Most victims of
sexual violence are children below 15 years and 90% of them are girls.
5.9 Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a procedure involving partial or total
removal of the external genitalia or other injuries to the female genital organs for
cultural reasons that are not medical. FGM/C reinforces the inequality suffered by
girls and women and is a violation of universally recognized human rights. Health
consequences commonly include failure to heal, scarring and blockage of the female
reproductive tract, inflammatory diseases and urinary infections. Gynecological
complications that result are particularly serious during and after childbirth, and
include fistula. Increased susceptibility to HIV infection is a concern. The pain of the
procedure causes shock and long-lasting trauma, and severe bleeding and infection
can lead to death. Culturally, communities that practice FGM/C believe it is an

16
important rite of passage from childhood to adulthood and that a girl who has not
undergone the procedure will not be considered suitable for marriage.
In Kenya, FGM/C is generally carried out on girls between the ages of 4 and 14,
women who are about to get married and sometimes forcefully on women during
traditional ceremonies or those who have just given birth. Peer and social pressures
to undergo the procedure are sometimes unbearable as demonstrated by the 14 year
old girl from Meru who bled to death after attempting the procedure on herself
because her parents could not allow her to undergo the ritual.

5.10 Child Trafficking

Child trafficking enslaves children. Trafficked children are subjected to prostitution,

forced into marriage, illegally adopted and they provide cheap or unpaid labour, work
as house servants or beggars, or are recruited into criminal groups. Trafficking
exposes children to violence, sexual abuse and HIV infection and violates their rights
to be protected, grow up in a family environment and have access to education. Child
trafficking in Kenya is invisible and clandestine and there is no strong data making it
difficult to know the number of child victims. Along the coastal strip, children are
trafficked into the tourist circuit as child prostitutes. In tea and rice growing areas,
children are recruited for agricultural and industrial work.
More often than not, trafficked children are arrested and detained, rather than
recognized as victims. The prosecution of suspected criminals takes too long and the
law is slow to protect child victims as demonstrated by the Archbishop Deya “prayers
for babies” case in Nairobi in 2005 that is yet to be resolved. Inequality between men
and women, boys and girls contributes to child trafficking. Abuse flourishes because
men purchase sex with children and poor families use children as domestic servants,
send them away as a coping or survival strategy in response to conflict and other
crises, or through false education and employment offers.

6. YOUTH ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

The population of the youth in the urban settlements in Kenya has been steadily
rising due to influx from rural areas in search of employment upon completion or
dropping out of school. This is caused by the poor rural economy that does not
provide for opportunities for employment. Nairobi being the capital city attracts the
highest number of young people looking for jobs. When dawned with the realities of
unemployment and lack of envisaged opportunities in the capital city, majority of
youth become frustrated and are forced to live in informal settlements. Kawangware,
Riruta, Kangemi, Mukuru and Soweto among others present classic examples of the
urbanization of poverty. Poverty in these locations is characterized by lack of
empowerment, security, income and human rights. The urban poor are more
dependent on cash than their rural counterparts, because they must purchase almost
all the essentials of daily life. The locations are characterized by environmental
degradation manifested in uncollected waste, blocked sewerage systems, dilapidated
drainage systems, stagnant water, and inadequate toilets (complemented by flying
toilets). These environmental issues have given rise to health problems that greatly
contribute to high mortality rates further compounding the poverty situation.

According to the Economic Survey 200613 performance of the economy shows that it
continued on the recovery path due to increased economic activities. The country’s
economy has registered remarkable growth for the last three years improving from
4.3% in 2004 to 5.8% in 2005. However this impressive economic growth has not
translated into any improvements to the plight of the urban poor. Ironically, the
situation has worsened with the price increases in essential commodities as a result
of increased petroleum products. These price increases without commensurate

17
increases in income for the urban poor have left them poorer. The purchasing power
especially of the youth who do not have reliable sources of income has been eroded.
Communities, in particular women and youth, lack information that can adequately
facilitate their participation in development activities. Further, they lack space to
voice issues that affect them and keep them in perpetual poverty. Poverty and
inequality disempower people and often expose them to discrimination in many
aspects of life and to additional violations of their rights. The need for empowerment
highlights the way that institutions - particularly state institutions, are unresponsive
to the concerns of the poor. This suggests the need for inclusive decentralization,
gender equity, and greater participation of youth in all social, political and economic
processes.

The majority of Youth living in the urban areas are frustrated and forced to live in
informal settlements. The locations are characterized by environmental degradation
manifested in uncollected waste, blocked sewerage systems, dilapidated drainage
systems, stagnant water, and inadequate toilets (complemented by flying toilets)1.
These environmental issues have given rise to health problems that greatly
contribute to high mortality rates. These include high incidences of malaria, typhoid,
diarrhoea and cholera, as well as acute respiratory infections, especially in children
under five. Nairobi has an infant mortality rate of 65 per 1000 live births2. Slum areas
contribute a huge proportion of this rate.

High cases of unemployment are a common phenomena reported in these locations.

Young people are rendered idle and find themselves involved in truancy and anti-
social activities such as petty crimes, drug abuse, robbery with violence, and in some
cases murder. Rights violation, child abuse, high school drop out rates, unwanted
pregnancies, abortion, and HIV/AIDS infection explains the levels of social problems
in these locations.

Strategies aimed at income generation, income redistribution and poverty alleviation

will have a higher pay off if they increase labour absorption rates, labour productivity,
labour security and returns on labour. Key among the financial factors is the lack of
saving capacity and low access to credit facilities among the poor. This has been as a
result of low income, high interest rates charged by commercial banks and Micro
Finance Institutions (MFIs) and lack of collateral to offer as security for credit.
Illiteracy, diseases and lack of adequate education in order to improve access to
formal employment are some of the social factors that exacerbate the vulnerability of
the poor.

Despite the fact that there is a considerable number of financial service providers in
Nairobi, in 2003, only 43.75% of families in the Nairobi Development Area had access
to sustainable financial services3. The youth are the most disadvantaged due to
unfavorable requirements by MFIs – high interest rates and lack of control over assets
necessary for collateral. Related to fear of losing whatever property is pledged as
collateral, is the fact that many potential borrowers do not have sufficient property to
deploy as collateral. For example, the youth in Fuata Nyayo, a slum in Nairobi, report
they have not accessed credit because they have no cash to raise the initial deposit
for loans4.

1 These are polythene bags in which people empty their solid waste and throw over
the fence/roof, not caring where they land.
2Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS), 2003

3 Plan Baseline II Survey, 2003

4 Kenya Participatory Impact Monitoring, GOK, 2004

18
The UN-HABITAT Agenda, paragraph 118 emphasizes the need to promote and
strengthen productive enterprises, including micro-enterprises and other
employment and training opportunities for youth at the international, regional and
national levels. A rights-based argument presents a moral and legal basis for
directing more resources to young people. This applies especially to the situation of
girls and young women due to their great vulnerability to poverty. The Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) embody most elements of a human rights perspective by
identifying the social and economic entitlements to development and the extent of
disadvantage suffered.

Five Millennium Development Goals in particular can be identified as explicitly

referring to young people. These goals cover activities in which mostly young people
are engaged. The relevant goals relate to: education attainment, gender balance in
education, improved maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases such
as malaria and tuberculosis and decent employment opportunities for young people.

A large number of young people abuse drugs and various substances today than in
any other time in history. They use drugs to change the way they feel, think, behave
or “have fun” and they ingest, inhale, smoke, inject or snort drugs. The most
common drugs they use are depressants, stimulants, or hallucinogens. The most
abused drugs in the two locations are marijuana, heroin and crack cocaine that are
highly addictive. The rate of drug abuse in Kenya among the youth is quite alarming,
as is evident in the number of school and college unrests that results in destruction
of property. Those most affected are the in and out of school youth, college students
as well as street children who are also used as traffickers. The rising crime rate
especially child sexual abuse highlighted in the media could be linked to drug abuse.
As a result of drug and alcohol abuse many youths and adults in the slums have
increased susceptibility to crime and HIV/AIDS infection.

7. KEY PRIORITY AREAS 2007-2012

The key initiatives of the DA and the CBOs will be geared towards addressing two key
areas of focus namely

• Child protection issues

• Youth Empowerment

7.1 Key approaches in program implementation

7.1.1 Child Centred Community Development Approach (CCCDA) - a rights-based

approach (RBA) to development in which children, families and communities are
active and leading participants in their own development. The approach is also in line
with the economic recovery strategy outlined by the government of Kenya.

7.1.2 Local Cost High Impact approach (LCHI) - Plan Nairobi DA has adopted LCHI
approach to enhance quality programming. The LCHI strategy is an evolving concept
in program development that entails identification of interventions, approaches,
strategies that are affordable, utilize local resources, adaptable, timely, that can have
multiplier effects, scalable and can lead to change of quality of life for children.

7.1.3 Partnerships- The DA seeks to nurture a partnership implementation strategy as

the key towards maximization of resources utilization as well as creating synergies as
the DA shall work with partners at their points of strength. The partnership
arrangement is at three levels namely National, District and at the children’s, families

19
and community level. In the National and district levels the main strategy will be to
work with the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) while at the children’s,
families and community level the strategy will be to work with the Community Based
Organizations (CBOs), with the aim of having both a national impact and
transformation at the community level. In all the programs to be undertaken the DA
will work in very close collaboration with Government of Kenya departments
especially the Nairobi City Council and will be informed by the various government
strategic policies in place.

7.1.4 Institutional Capacity development - Plan will seek to strengthen the capacity
for CSO organizations in order to adopt good governance and universal best practices
that aims at making the organizations more accountable and transparent. The
capacity development is also aimed at improving service delivery and quality
programming to achieve maximum impact in the communities.

7.1.5 HIV/AIDs - The pandemic has reversed most of the national economic and
development gains realized in the past. HIV/AIDS will be integrated in most projects
because its effects are felt in all development sectors. Programs will take recognition
of this fact and seek to find the best approach of integrating issues that relate to OVC
and PLWAS in the community.

7.1.6 ICT in development - The government of Kenya has put in place an ICT policy to
enable growth of the sector and integrate it into the Kenyan development strategies
in order to help create jobs, improve productivity, increase access to education,
health care and government services, especially for disadvantaged individuals and
communities, and allow communities to make informed decisions about the local
resource use. The approach is therefore very important especially a period like now
when children and the youth have embraced use of technology for most of their
information needs in this era of globalization.

7.1.7 Lobby and Advocacy - Plan recognizes that advocacy leads to positive policy
change: the programme shall thus seek to collaborate with relevant Government
Departments and partners as well as with other stakeholders in this area. Plan Kenya
has limited experience in this area and will endeavor to forge alliances and networks
in pursuit of advocacy on particular and agreed upon topics. Strengthening of such
relationships will be based on best practice, case studies and successful ways of
doing advocacy.

7.1.8 Communication and visibility - Plan Nairobi DA will seek to be a recognized voice
in the issues regarding child protection and the youth empowerment. Plan will profile
itself in the fore mentioned issues and take a more prominent role in all the emerging
issues and deliberations at all levels of its interaction. Also the DA will seek to enhance
the voice of all its partners, starting with the children, youth, women and men via the
CBOs, and also the other civil society partners.
8. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

During the strategy development workshop, participants asked themselves the

following questions to guide the DA strategic thinking:
What do we want that we don't have? (Achieve)
What do we want that we already have? (Preserve)
What don't we have that we don't want? (Avoid)
What do we have now that we don't want? (Eliminate

20
Responses to these questions, facilitated the development of the following strategies
which strongly borrow from the UNICEF protective environment framework which the
DA wishes to adopt.

Figure 3. UNICEF’s Protective Environment Framework

8.1 DA strategic Objectives;

Strategic Objective 1. Creating a protective environment for children to

realize their full potential

Interventions:
• Advocacy for child protection using international human rights tools/protocol
• Advocacy for safe schools and community policing
• Advocacy for responsive and respectful health services so that survivors of
rape get the help they need within the first 72 critical hours after attack — to
protect them from HIV/AIDS
• Dialogue with government, CSO partners, communities, families and children
themselves to promote knowledge attitudes and practices that protect
children
• Inclusion of child protection issues in National Development Plans, budgets
and legislation
• Lobby & Advocacy for enforcement of legislation e.g. Children’s Act 2001 and
optimal utilization of local resources such as LATF, CDF, Youth Fund, Women
Fund, NACC, Bursary fund,
• National interventions for effective social protection and safety nets for
children made vulnerable by poverty, protection failures and/or HIV and AIDS
• Community-based interventions that promote and strengthen the capacity of
families and communities to address child protection issues

21
 • Promote expansion of behavioral change among individuals to focus on wider
groups and on approaches that are inclusive and participatory and strengthen
positive practices
• Improve knowledge and behavior and identify promising, rights-based
approaches to communication including folk, print, electronic media and ICT
• Facilitating partnerships and networks with the GOK, CSOs, communities,
families, teachers and professional groups that would enhance reporting on
child protection issues
• Conduct research, documentation and dissemination on child abuse and
protection issue

Strategic Objective 2. Strengthening and supporting the capacity of

families to protect and care for their children and specifically children with
special needs, OVCs and the most vulnerable children in the society
• Advocacy for optimal resource allocation to ensure children and their families
gain effective access to basic social services and protection
• Establishing consensus on the nature and causes of abuse of human rights
• Interacting with decision makers on the rights issues
• Developing specific capacity-building measures for overcoming the factors
that deprive children of access to basic services
• Enhancing families’ capacities to care and advocate for disabled children, to
improving practices among service providers and contributing to policies and
legislation that protect rights and create opportunities for greater social
participation
• Develop data and analysis on the extent and causes of disabilities and work
with partners to place the care and protection of children with disabilities
higher on the national agenda
• Enhancing family capacities to prevent illness, care for sick children, protect
children from harm and from HIV and AIDS and support their children’s,
especially girls’, education
• Enhancing skills, motivation and responsibilities at different levels, as well as
mobilization of financial, knowledge-based and technological resources
• Enhancing use of research to understand existing practices, strengthening
prenatal and family care, and work with service providers to reduce gender
and other disparities and to support and protect children lacking a family care
environment
• Raising awareness at all levels through advocacy and social mobilization to
create a supportive environment for disabled children as well as children and
families affected by HIV and AIDS
• Providing supporting to OVC including education, health care, and livelihoods
and strengthening local planning and action for OVCs
• Supporting succession planning for children affected by HIV and AIDS
• Increasing school enrolment and attendance
• Ensuring birth registration for all children
• working with children in the worst forms of poverty especially those in child
labor to get them off this violation of their rights
• Supporting basic health and nutrition services
• Improving access to safe water and sanitation
• Mainstreaming disability in all programmes in the DA

22
Strategic Objective 3. Mobilizing and strengthening community-based
responses to child protection and ensuring access to justice for vulnerable
children

Interventions:
• Working with networks of organizations at the local level on child abuse and
neglect to prevent abuse
• Raising social awareness on child protection through networks of children,
youth and adults
• Working to strengthening the legal framework and law enforcement in
communities
• Developing the capacity of communities and paraprofessionals to monitoring
the well-being of children
• Supporting legal aid including pro-bono representation
• Promoting improvements in the care of children affected by abuse
• Raising social awareness of what to do when child abuse cases arise and
addressing the plight of children in child labor. In particular seek o address the
plight of child domestic workers and those in commercial sex as well as
children on the streets
• Promoting children’s participation in family and community development
activities
• Facilitating children to be aware of risks and how to protect themselves
• Addressing domestic violence in collaboration with common interest groups
• Addressing gender issues with children, the youth and adults
• Working with teachers and students groups to prevent bullying, harassment
and sexual abuse
• Engaging local leaders in responding to the needs of vulnerable children
• Organizing and supporting activities that enable community members to talk
more openly about child protection
Strategic Objective 4. Strengthening the capacity of children and the youth
to meet their rights to protection

Interventions
• Strengthening the roles of children and young people as partners and
participants in societal decision-making
• Promoting opportunities for adolescents and young people to express their
views and participate in all matters affecting them
• Ensuring that children and young people’s views are given due weight
according to their gender, age, level of knowledge and maturity
• Promoting participation of children and young people through approaches that
institutionalize participation in schools, communities and other settings
• Shifting away from events based approaches to enabling participation by
children and youth whose voices are rarely heard, to raising awareness on the
benefits of participation
• Interventions demonstrating how schools and health facilities can adopt
youth-friendly practices can attract more young people and achieve better
results
• Promoting peer to peer approaches to right based issues
Strategic Objective 5. Ensuring that government develops appropriate
policies, including legal and programmatic frameworks, as well as essential
services for the most vulnerable children

23
Interventions
• Influencing policy formulation and legislation on child protection
• Influencing the channeling of national resources to vulnerable families and
communities
• Implementation of right-based national policies, strategies
• Enhancing government capacity and commitment
• Ensuring that resources reach communities
• Supporting the development and enforcement of a supportive legislative
framework
• Establishing mechanisms to ensure information exchange and collaboration of
efforts
Strategic Objec1tive 6. Increasing urban youth social and economic
empowerment

Strategies:
• Improving livelihood skills to create and increase incomes
• Facilitating marketable skills through apprenticeships and local VTIs
• Interventions using apprenticeship models to enable trainees attain
marketable level technical competencies
• Integration of youth enterprises into enterprise social networks for formal or
self employment
• Linkages to existing Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) for start up capital
• Facilitating training in entrepreneurship synchronized with local market
demands
• Increasing access to financial services vide community based micro finance or
VS&L and models to enhance capacity of existing Accumulating Savings and
Credit Associations (ASCAs) and Rotating Savings and Credit Associations
(ROSCAs)
• Community Based Microfinance (CBMF) approaches to counter high interests
charged by conventional MFIs
• Facilitating organized youth groups to collect, recycle garbage and sell
recycled garbage products
• Facilitating skills training to enable production of quality products responsive
to the demands of both local and international markets
• Equipping youth with skills and information towards enhancing a drugs and
substance abuse free community
• Enhancing youth life skills including ICT skills to compete and fit in within the
global environment especially in light of the technological world growth.
• Establishing linkages and collaborations to enhance skills and expose the
youth to markets through organization of e.g. trade fares
• Strengthening youth leadership skills and promoting good governance among
the youth organizations
• Increasing the capacity of the youth to engage Government and other
stakeholders to ensure environmental conservation and provision of good
infrastructure

24
9. DA RESOURCE MOBILIZATION STRATEGY

The purpose of the Resource Mobilization Strategy (RMS) for Nairobi DA is to

facilitate the mobilization of adequate resources for the urban DA and thereby scale
up the Programme's capacity in order to achieve the objectives and contribute
towards the Country Strategic Plan. Nairobi DA will promote and support community
and partner participation in decision making and mobilization of local resources in
the communities. With full involvement of the CBOs in the management of the
projects and with their knowledge of their quantified contribution towards the
projects, the DA aims to achieve:
1) Full community participation,
2) Ownership,
3) Sustainability, and
4) Recognition

The mobilization of resources will be done within the CCCD framework and CSP/CPOs.
It is important to mention that the urban strategy, CBO framework and Community
Development Plans will spell out the themes of focus for the DA and the areas for
which resources will be sought.

The mobilization of resources will be done using the following principles:

 Participatory and responsive program designs
 Uphold Rights, Dignity and Social Accountability of all stakeholders.
 Achieve results and impact on lives for lasting improvements
 Connecting people and Institutions with causes and needs

9.1. Goals and objectives of DA resource mobilization strategy

Goal: “Enable the DA and the communities to access resources needed in order to
achieve sustainable Child Centered Community Development for children families
and communities”. This will be funds for the DA operations and program delivery

Objectives:
 Increase and make more stable and predictable the financing of Nairobi DA
 Broaden the donor base within the NOs, donor community and non-governmental
sectors
 Enhance utilization of indigenous resources and enhance community mobilization
of local and external resources for their own development in all CBOs
 Facilitate sustainable development through innovative and strategic partnerships,
collaborations and linkages in a process of building mutual relationships between
all key players in resource mobilization.
 Support children, communities, partners and Plan staff to nurture credibility,
accountability and professionalism in resource mobilization
 Enable the DA harness sufficient resource for operations and quality program
delivery

9.2. Strategies
The DA resource mobilization strategy is geared towards scaling up both in scope
and operations as will be informed by the DA urban strategy and will be linked to the
strategies of CBOs, partners and other Civil Society actors. Funds will be raised for
activities that are formulated in CDP and within the CSP/CPOs.

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Strategy 1: Contribution to the CSP objectives by facilitating
implementation of grant funded projects
“To achieve the CSP objectives and the urban strategy, the DA will raise resources
from institutional donors, the Plan National Offices, Bilateral and Multi-lateral donors

 Functional strategy in the operations/ management of grants

The DA program staff will take a lead position in the projects which will be
implemented through partners and provide technical support and advice to the
partner with regard to the specific project and will be the interface between plan and
the partner.
The DA will seek to develop the core competencies of the staff in the identified
program areas of focus to enable them have expertise and be an authority in the
specific programs.
The program staff may be attached to two or three programs at any one time
depending on the size and scope of the funded project.

Strategy 2: Enhancement of the CBOs capacity to raise funds to their

activities.
“CBOs and other partners have ownership of their development by being able to
fundraise and manage their funds”
 Local resource mobilization
In the past years the CBOs have contributed in the process of project implementation
especially through the skills of the CORPs as well as providing adequate time for the
monitoring of the projects in their areas of operation. This immerse contribution has
not been given a monetary value however it has been critical for the success of the
projects and especially the community managed projects.
The CBOs and their interest groups will seek to raise at least USD 227000 within the
next five years. The different program staff and identified partners will seek to
engage more with the CBOs and interest groups towards boosting of their local
resource mobilization efforts and especially in the CBOs and partner organizations. In
addition systems/mechanisms will be developed to capture and qualify/quantify in
monetary terms any contribution made to the projects by the CBOs i.e. Skills, time
etc.

Nairobi DA – Budget forecast

FY – 2006 -2012

06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Program 434,286 602,265 663,928 835,810 904,729 1,057,296 1,400,000
Operatio
153,832 250,427 145,935 200,000 575,000 600,000 650,000
ns
588,11 809,86 1,035,8 1,479,7 1,657,29
Totals 852,692 2,050,000
8 3 10 29 6
74% 71% 82% 81% 61% 64% 68%
Ratios:-
26% 29% 18% 19% 39% 36% 32%

The realization of the resource mobilization strategy will be depended on the DA

being more proactive in looking for grant funding in order to scale up the programs

10. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.

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Plans organizational structure aims at global and national integration and local
differentiation. Nairobi Development Area is unique in that unlike the other DAs
funded through sponsorship Nairobi is fully grant funded. This definitely calls for a
structure guided by programme strategy that will seek to respond to partners and
donors and be relevant in light of the dynamics of an urban DA and offer an equal
value for upward, downward as well as horizontal accountability. Plan Nairobi
Development area currently has the capacities to implement a standard programme
cycle i.e. strategic planning, implementation, monitoring and review, evaluation and
final reporting, including management of all grants. Thus the DA will seek to review
the organizational structure immediately the program strategy is approved.

11. ASSUMPTIONS AND RISKS

11.1 Assumptions

 Plan Nairobi leadership and staff will continue to evolve an understanding of right
based programming and address structural causes of poverty
 Collaborating G.o.K, NGOs, and other agencies will execute their responsibility
towards the partnership between them, the Communities, and Plan Nairobi
 Supportive environment for the full participation of children, women and men in
ownership and decision-making
 Institutional structures that ensure transparency and accountability of funds
11.2 Risks
 Political upheaval, security breakdown adverse GOK policy on urban planning
 Absence of good governance
 Slow down in economic development

12. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The development plan should not be considered to be “cast in stone”, and it is import
ant that the activities laid out here will be critically revisited on a regular basis
(ideally as part of the annual planning process).

All development initiatives in the DA will be monitored through development of a

participatory monitoring and evaluation framework covering the entire project cycle.
The framework will be developed jointly by CBOs, community interest groups, local
civil society organizations, relevant government partners and Plan Nairobi. The M&E
Facilitator in the DA, in consultation with the CPME team at the Country Office will
lead this process. The framework will provide the basis for monitoring and analyzing
the logic of the program in terms of inputs, process, outputs, and results.

Data will be processed in a participatory manner. Data from secondary sources

(already processed) will be adapted for reporting purposes. Primary quantitative data
collected by Plan and partners will be entered into a computer and analyzed using
corporate systems or commercially available software such as SPSS, Excel or Access
by Plan Kenya’s DA M&E team, with support from the CPME team, whenever
required. Qualitative primary data collection and analysis, discussion, reflection and
action will be applied together with participating children and other community
members. Results will be shared through monitoring and evaluation reports during
workshops, newsletters, posters, fact sheets, children’s interactive drama, sports and
children’s video linked to the participation and empowerment program

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In monitoring inputs, outputs, and finances, the corporate PPM Ndugu will be fully
utilized. The DA and the Country Office will review and act upon PPM Ndugu reports
including: CPO Country Reports, Domain Review Report, Operational Unit Progress
Reports, and PO Progress Reports.

The Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation (PM&E) strategy will involve the four main
broad principles of: Participation; Inclusiveness; Learning and Flexibility as the basis
for subsequent improvement and corrective action. Plan Nairobi will popularize
stakeholders to adapt PM&E methods that have proved successful. The most
significant change methodology will be a key process for measuring outcomes and
impact.

Both a mid-term and a final evaluation will be undertaken with the purpose of
assessing the extent to which the program has achieved its defined objectives. The
key areas that the evaluation will assess are the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency,
sustainability, and impact of the program. The final evaluation will focus on capturing
communities’ perceptions of the program, lessons learnt, best practices and
challenges experienced during the program implementation. The FE will principally
be conducted by external consultants but in collaboration with community
representatives, stakeholders and the larger Plan Kenya staff.
All the activities funded through grants will be evaluated as per the agreed upon
donor requirements.

13. EXIT STRATEGY

It is envisaged that after the first 5 years a thorough review of the program effective,
efficiency, relevance and impact will be conducted. Organizational and operational
structures will also be reviewed to ascertain if they are still competently delivering
programs. This will give way to a further design and review of the DAs development
plan for a further period of 5 years. At the end of 10 years it is envisioned that the DA
will have adequately tackled child protection and reduced their occurrence in most
informal settlements and have facilitated the communities and other stakeholders to
take a more proactive role in protecting the children. It is further anticipated that the
youth will have taken a more central and critical role in decision making structures
both at the Division, District and National levels. This will be through the formation of
a powerful youth structure/movement that will increase the voices of the youth in
influencing equitable distribution of resources, gender equity and more devolution of
powers at all levels of the society.

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i

ii

1. Amer W. Jabry, “Plan’s Strategic Framework for sub-Saharan Africa”, 2002

2. Plan Kenya Baseline Survey 2003
3. UNICEF, “Unite for Children”, New York, 2006
4. Ministry of Health, “Kenya National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2000-2005”
5. International Development Research Centre [IDRC], “Urban Poverty and Environment
Prospectus 2005-2010 “, Ottawa Canada, 2005
6. UNICEF “Poverty Reduction Begins with Children”, New York, 2000
7. Women Education Researchers in Kenya [WERK], “The story of Children Living & Working in
the Streets of Nairobi”, 2004
8. UNICEF, “United Nations Study on Violence Against Children”, New York, 2004
9. The East African Standard, “Fighting for Children”, August 28th 2006
10. African Child Policy Forum [ACPF], “Violence Against Girls in Africa: A Retrospective Survey
in Ethiopia, Kenya & Uganda”, Addis Ababa, 2006
11. ILO, “Factsheet on Child Labour in Africa”, Geneva, 2006
13. Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) [Kenya], Ministry of Planning & National Development.
“Kenya Economic Survey” , 2006
Others resources
- African Population & Health Research Centre (APHRC), “Population & Health Dynamics in
Nairobi’s Informal Settlements”, Nairobi, 2002
- Save the Children UK, “Disability Facts”, 2005)
- Save the Children UK, “How Many People Live With Disability Globally?”, 2005
- UNICEF, “The ‘Rights’ Start to Life: A Statistical Analysis of Birth Registration”, New York, 2005
Cordaid & - - - Institute of Housing & Urban Development Studies, “Process Mapping: Disclosing
Actors and Citizens Participation in Nairobi”, 2004
- Central Bureau of Statistics [CBS], Ministry of Planning & National Development, “Geographic
Dimensions of Well-Being in Kenya: Who & Where Are the Poor? A Constituency Level Profile Vol.
II”,, 2005 Owuor Omollo - - David et al., African Population and Health Research Centre [APHRC],
“The Nairobi Urban Health Equity Gauge”, 2004