Human Support Organization
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Welcome
It is realized globally that Early Childhood Development Education is very important as it is the backbone of all educational levels. This is acknowledged locally as important but still there is no recognition of early childhood development education Nationwide as no proper measures have been put in place to promote early childhood development education in Kenya.
This leaves no doubt that, poor educational achievements at various levels of education and especially in the rural poor communities is as a result of early childhood development education neglect. This goes further to cause slow development from community levels to the national level which pauses a great danger to Kenya as she will remain behind where as there is rapid development globally.
Busia district is one of the districts faced with many challenges, (i) high poverty levels, and (ii), the complex effects of HIV/AIDS and high TB burden. The district poverty index is 68%, HIV/AIDS prevalence is 7.4% with a male prevalence 5.9% and female prevalence of 9.0%. The crude birth rate 47/1000, crude death rate is 20/1000, infants mortality rate 125/1000 < 5 mortality is 210/1000. Major causes of mortality are Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Anemia, Pneumonia and Gastro-enteritis.
The orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) is a special problem and one of the biggest challenges facing the district that Human Support Organization is addressing. The orphan crisis has been precipitate by the death of young parents partly through civic war in Mt. Elgon and communities fleeing from the northern Uganda as a result of internal wars by Konny rebels to the government, tribal clashes in Kenya and especially after the disputed general elections 2007, and families moving from rural to urban settlements in search of employment. However, the main cause is because of the many parents dying as a result of HIV/AIDS. According to Statistics by the children's department it's estimated that the population of orphans in Busia is about 70,000 children.
According to situation assessment carried out by Human Support Organization in Busia town and its environs, it's found out that the impact of HIV/AIDS is far reaching. We approximate that about 75% of the orphans have lost both parents. Other information also indicates that there are many children and youths below 18 years out of school. For example the primary school net enrollment race (NER) shows that the NER stood at 67.6% of all the school going children in 2002. This implies that 32.4% school going children in Busia are out of school. These children might be candidates of worst forms of child labour including trafficking and child prostitution.
The burden of caring for orphans and vulnerable children is either shouldered by the older siblings or grandparents who are least able to stand the challenges of additional expenses for feeding, clothing, educating or meeting Medical care costs for the family. The traditional Support Systems for Widows, Orphans and vulnerable children have weekend as a result of HIV/AIDS scourge resulting into an overburdened family and kinship, network in Busia.
The vulnerability of children has been compounded by poverty, which is rampant in the cross boarder communities in Busia. About 60% live in absolute poverty, yet OVCS need holistic care and support in form of basic needs like Nutrition, Education, Clothing, Medication, Beddings and Shelter not forgetting life Skills, perhaps much more than children in normal and economically stable family situation. Suffice it to not that families in Busia district have improved by high morbidity and deaths due to AIDS, agricultural and economic productivity diminished, health systems and care providers burdened simply because all the available resources have been spent on either medical or funeral arrangements activities. A lot of time spent on caring for the sick parents leading to economic crisis societies and food insecurity.
This therefore presents a special problem that Human Support Organization needs to scale its intervention through this HOPE project proposal.
