Children asked to use assembly to convey views

Children in Garissa have been challenged to use structured channels like Kenya Children Assembly to convey their views and deliberate on issues affecting their lives.

Garissa county coordinator for children services, Benjamin Kinyua, said that several retrogressive cultural practices affect the lives of children in the area.

He spoke at the NEP Girls High School during the election for the Kenya Children Assembly-Garissa Chapter.

The event, attended by more than 100 students from across the county from different primary and secondary schools, was facilitated by the East African Center for Human Rights.

Kinywa singled out child abuse, child neglect and exploitation, child marriage, FGM teenage pregnancies and drugs and substance abuse as some of the challenges facing children in the region.

“Today we are happy to put in place the children's Assembly. This will assist the children in a big way. We have a retrogressive culture within the community which affects the lives of children. Such structures should help in addressing these challenges,” he said.

“You will realise that most of the girls are being married at a very young age, a vice that we are fighting very hard to eliminate with the support of other partners. The girls are being forced to become mothers at a very early age,” he added.

Kinyua noted that most of the families where children were married off early crumbled, forcing the victims to go back to their homes and languish in poverty.

In most cases, they have not acquired education further complicating matters.

“This is one of the problems that we shall be addressing using this structure and the children will be able to address these problems directly. Of course, their recommendations will attract the attention of the policymakers who will adopt them and include them in all the policies that will come up,” he said.

Maselino Waithaka Thuku, the project manager of the East African Centre for Human Rights Trust said the structures are important because they allow children to participate in policy, legislation and other issues that are of concern to children.

‘We are here to support the directorate of children services in Garissa to revive the children's assemblies in Garissa. There is a lot of focus in the world right now around the issues of meaningful child participation,” he said.

Abdimaslah Abdullahi, who was elected the governor, promised to work closely with the government and other relevant stakeholders to ensure issues are highlighted and properly addressed.

He singled out retrogressive cultural practices like FGM, teenage pregnancies, early marriages and drugs and substance abuse as among the challenges bedevilling girls and boys.

“I look forward to working with all stakeholders to help address these issues that remain a big threat to the young ones in our great county. We all have a role to play individually and collectively in ensuring that the challenges that affect our education are tackled,”. he said.

The Children Assemblies started in 2010 to enhance meaningful child participation in legislation and policy.

The students In the area have not held elections for years after the structure collapsed due to lack of support.

Kinyua however remained optimistic that the structure will not collapse again disclosing that the department has already talked with supporters to mobilize resources to ensure continuity.