TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
ibrahim's Blog
ibrahim's Blog
Kenyan children: Life away from home
Related to country: Uganda

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

None of them seems to know why they are at the camp. All they say is Kibaki and run off immediately. Even in the midst of the conflict back home, they could still afford genuine smiles

The innocence with which children conduct themselves is admirable. A quick scan of the transit camp at the Mulanda Community Polytechnic Instructor's College in Tororo District shows sections of children curiously looking at the visitors that day as though secure in the confines of their homes.
When members of Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children visited the Kenyan refuge camp recently, they were amazed by the way the children conducted themselves.

A group of three excited children gladly ask the visitors to take their picture while they are having a late lunch. In different parts of the camp, other children are skipping- they only take offence when one of their colleagues refuses to take turns in swinging the rope. None of them seems to know why they are at the camp. All they say is Kibaki and run off immediately. Even in the midst of the conflict back home, they could still afford genuine smiles.

Defilement
It is difficult to know by simply observing the children that one of them was defiled a week before by someone from within the camp. The police are still investigating the case. However Yumiko Takashima the head of UNHCR office in Tororo says that it isn't an alarming situation. "We have tried to minimise the possibility of defilement cases by locating tents with care.

Men sleep a distance away from the women and children," she explains. The camp premises are also guarded by the Uganda Police and some refugees volunteer to take shifts at night. People aren't allowed into the camp beyond 8.pm.

Education
In a temporary classroom within the camp premises, excited children greet the visitors each trying to out competent the other as they show off books donated by UNICEF.

Takashima says that among the displaced community are teachers who have been recruited by Save the Children, an NGO, to teach. A total of about 357 children attend classes since the term began.

Save the Children offers early child development classes and the children's parents are expected to drop them every morning. Nevertheless, the lack of electricity makes it hard for the children to do their home work. They also lack text books and furniture. The classroom floor covered with papyrus grass is where they seat to learn something new.

The problem though is that children at different levels of education attend the same classes. And whereas they would have been integrated within the Ugandan system of education the differences with the Kenya one makes it difficult to integrate. So far, 70 children are studying P. 4- P.6. However those in secondary school are not attending classes yet.

Ray of hope
Honorable Ruth Tuma the Jinja Women representative and the chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum for Children Affairs who led a delegation of MPs to access the children's situation in the camp said that they would be able to lobby government and other relief organisations to offer help in wanting areas.

Takashima says that the refugees at this camp are from Eldoret, Mt. Elgon, Busia, Malaba, Nakuru and the Kibera slum in Nairobi and have been at the camp since January 23. There are more children and women in the camps than the men.

March 7, 2008 | 9:08 AM Comments  0 comments

You must be logged in to add tags.


ibrahim's Profile

ibrahim's Friends


Latest Posts
New HIV treatment
Peace talks to remain...
Ab’oku Kaleerwe...
We must address female...
Doctors battle to save...

Monthly Archive
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
February 2008
March 2008
June 2008
July 2008

Change Language


Tags Archive
children displaced education kenya refugeecamp refugees uganda

Filter By Type
Travel
Topics

Friends
kajumba daphine
maryjn


26444 views
Important Disclaimer