Social Protection Programme: Safeguarding Childhoods, Empowering Futures

Programme Overview

A comprehensive child protection and gender equity initiative that combats systemic violations of children’s rights through community-based interventions, policy advocacy, and empowerment programs. Targeting Kenya’s most vulnerable counties, we address the root causes of child labour, FGM, and gender discrimination while creating safer environments for education and development.

Key Intervention Areas

1. Eliminating Harmful Practices

a) Anti-FGM Campaigns

• Alternative Rites of Passage programs preserving cultural identity without cutting
• Rescue centers for at-risk girls with counseling and education support
• Community dialogues with elders, religious leaders, and cutters to shift norms
• Mobile surveillance units to intercept FGM ceremonies during peak seasons

b) Child Labour Eradication

• Child labor monitoring systems in high-risk industries (mining, agriculture)
• Parental livelihood programs (microloans, vocational training) to reduce economic dependence on child labor
• School reintegration kits (uniforms, backpacks) for rescued children

2. Gender Equality & Child Welfare

• Girls’ empowerment clubs teaching leadership, financial literacy, and bodily autonomy
• Boys’ mentorship programs challenging toxic masculinity and promoting allyship
• Child protection committees with local authorities to report abuse cases
• Mobile legal aid clinics to prosecute FGM perpetrators and labor violators

3. Community-Based Protection Systems

Foster care systems for orphans and street-connected children

“Safe Village” certification program for FGM-free communities

Early warning networks using SMS alerts to prevent child marriages

Innovative Approaches

Menstrual health programs reducing period-related dropout rates

“Girls’ Safety Bursary” – Conditional cash transfers keeping at-risk girls in school

Blockchain birth registration to prevent age falsification for child labor

AI-powered hotlines for anonymous reporting of abuse cases

Why This Works

1. Holistic Model – Combines prevention, protection, and prosecution
2. Cultural Sensitivity – Partners with local influencers to drive change from within
3. Economic Alternatives – Provides viable substitutes for FGM practitioners and labor-dependent families

Long-Term Vision

By 2030, this program aims to:

Achieve gender parity in secondary school enrollment

Eliminate FGM in 80% of targeted counties

Reduce child labor by 50% in high-prevalence zones