GLAD’S HOUSE GENERAL COMMENTCONSULTATION

Conducted in Mombasa, Kenya at Glad’s House Drop In Centreon 10th, 11th and 23rd March 2016. Glad’s House is a Kenyan NGO and Charitable Children’s Institution supporting street children

Discussions were conducted with 53children and young people aged 9 - 24. 39whocurrently live on the streets and 14who have been supported off the streets.

Background

  • Participants were both female and male and were currently living and/or working on the streets or were once on the streets but currently in education, living and working independentlyor in Transitional Homes.
  • The history of the UN and its consolidated bodies was givenincluding the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.Handouts were distributed outlining all the Articles of the UNCRC and then participants discussed their reactions.
  • Discussions around abuse, torture, neglect, betrayal and discrimination that theyall have experienced or currently experience and/or witness on the street took place.
  • It was clear to all participants that children in the community enjoy their rights but it is clear children on the streets don’t enjoy the same rights. Participants shared and explained how their rights are violated.

Quotes of children’s reactions to the UNCRC:

“It is not easy for street connected children to be with their friends in town. You are always suspects and can be arrested any time.” (Female, 20)

“I was standing in town together with Sam and Lewis*. We were arrested and taken to the police station. At the station the officer just looked at the 3 of us. He then concluded that Sam was a small boy and was taken to the children court and then to juvenile remand home while I and Lewis were taken to the adult court then to adult prison. I can’t understand why while Sam was the oldest and the tallest among the 3 of us.(Male, 17) *names have been changed

“They don’t see street connected children as human beings. Whenever they do their roundups they usually boast that they are cleaning the city by removing the rubbish out of town. They should respect us. We are also human beings. (Male, 22)

“The 5 of us had gone to swim in the river running acrossCity Park in Nairobi. They suddenly turned up, 2 among the 5 of us managed to escape. I then remained behind with 2 ladies. They forced me to have unprotected sex with the girls if not they would take us all to the police station. They laughed as they watched us do it. They then told us to runaway and disappear before they changed their minds”.

“They came at 4:00am as we were sleeping. We heard them talking. We all jumped out running. I jumped into the sea. The coral rocks cut my leg very badly but I kept swimming and running at the sometime. I was bleeding so much but I still kept going. I am glad I made it. All the rest are still in jail now” (Male, 19)

“You can’t even stand with your friends on the streets. The police will collect you all. If you are on the streets, you and your friends are always suspects.” (Male, 20)

“One is always on the lookout. You never know what might happen. If it is not the police then it’s the general public or even one of your friends. One might be high maybe on glue or marijuana. Then he suddenly picks a fight with you and maybe hit you with a stone or a bottle. You are never at peace.” (Male, 17)

“They are not even trained officers. We know some of them. Those are Joho’s (Governor of Mombasa) boys. Some of them are even drug users”

“I had to change my names several times so as to survive. At each base I went I had a different name. All my friends knew me with a different name.”

“My mother was a heavy drinker and my father never cared. I don’t even know my exact date of birth. It’s my right to get a birth certificate. I don’t know how I will get it as my mother is now dead and my father is a don’t care.(Female, 16)

“After court I was told that I would be taken to GitathuroRehabilitation School in Nairobi. I stayed there for 1 month. I was then told that I would be taken to Likoni Rehabilitation School in Mombasa. I was very afraid as I had no friends in Mombasa and knew nobody there. In Kisumu we only speak English and Luo while in Mombasa people speak Kiswahili. I did not know how I was going to communicate.”

“I requested if I could stay at the Rehabilitation School for one more year so that I could do my final primary exams but they refused. They said that my time was over so I had to go back home. I pleaded with them saying that back home nobody would take me to school but they refused. I therefore opted to go to the streets and find a good Samaritan who would assist me get back to school. I came to Glad’sHouse who tried to support me back to school. We went to try in 3 different public primary schools but they all turned me down. At one Primary School the Headmaster said that I was too big and that she could not admit to her school a child with such bad records. I felt very bad and rejected. I am now however happy that I will sit as a private candidate”. (Male, 17)

“They took me to Gitathuro Rehabilitation School in Nairobi. I stayed there for 1 month. They then told me that I would be taken to Wamomo in Embu. I had never heard of that name before.

I was only 13 at that time. We drove out of the City into the countryside. It was as if the drive would never end. At last we left the tarmac road and drove through Pineapple Plantations. We kept going and going then we finally entered the school compound. I stayed there for 3 years and none of my relatives ever visited me. After 3 years I was given fare back to Mombasa. I went there knowing nothing but I left there knowing lots of bad words and habits. They say that that is a rehabilitation school but it is not. There one can walk in a good person but walk out a very bad person”. (Male, 20)

“Even when you want to get an ID card, then you have to look for a friend or someone from your tribe and cheat that he is your relative so as to use his ID to get yours. This becomes a problem because now you have to be registered under persons and locations you never even know.” (Male, 24)

“No one cares about a street child. Many times people just let them die on the streets. Even when one is killing himself with glue or drugs. No one cares.”(Male, 18)

THE FOLLOWING RESOUTIONS WERE MADE:

  1. Due to neglect and lack of information and support, many children lose their lives due to substance misuse. Under Article 4 of UNCRC we demand that the Government creates effective support and interventions to take care of our physicalhealth and our mental wellbeing.
  2. We demand that under Article 4 of UNCRC, the Government construct Rehabilitation Schools in each County to avoid transporting children far distances away from their networks in the name of ‘rehabilitation’. These schools should be handed over to Non- Governmental Organisations for effective and efficient administration, to avoid abuse, mismanagement and neglect.
  3. We demand that under Article 4 of UNCRC, the Government mustensure that all Police, County Inspectorate Officers and Prison Officers undergo special training to understand how to work with street children.
  4. We demand that in line with Article 37, Government should ensure proper Age Assessments are conductedto ensure children are not mixed with adult offenders when imprisoned.
  5. We demand that in line with Article 7 Governments should open registration centres and with the right qualified personnel to ensure that all street children can access Birth Certificates, National ID cards and Passports.
  6. We demand that in line with Article 6 of UNCRC, the Government should open feeding/medical centres in the streets to ensure that all street children are well fed and immunized so we can grow and develop into responsible citizens.
  1. We demand that in line with Article 12 and 13 all Children should be informed, supported by advocates and asked of their opinion during the Court Process.
  2. In line with Article 28, Government should develop schools where by street children can access education and knowledge.

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