Kenya's Children - 2

For the children who do survive past infancy, there are many other hurdles they must face. 34% of children are stunted and 25% of children are under weight in Kenya . This due to inadequate water sources, poor sanitation, and lack of nutritional food. Malnutrition rates in Kenya are highest in the eastern, western, and coastal regions.

Unfortunately, access to adequate sanitation and safe water sources has declined. Access ranges from 26% in some rural areas to around 44% in squatter settlements. This is a recipe for disaster, as many waterborne diseases are transmitted in these types of places. 1a

Child Education
Education is also another aspect that needs definite improving in Kenya , as many children don't have access to proper education, and are suffering as a result. They are not learning the life skills that they will need in later life, and are missing out on the opportunity for socialisation.

Primary school gross enrollment rates have declined from 95% in 1989 to 76% in 1996. And it doesn't look to be getting much better. Only 35% of children participate in pre-school education, and only 44% of children complete primary school. 1b

Girls in Kenya are discriminated against in education, and a familiar question of families is “why invest in someone else's wife?” In many Kenyan communities, girls are seen as unimportant. They are given little education, support, or love because they are often regarded as a chattel belonging to someone else.

Many girls in Kenya have little or no access to education, poor nutrition, are illiterate, and live in poverty. Violence and abuse are daily factors in their everyday lives. 4

Slums
There are many children living in slums around the country, and in the capital city of Kenya . Abject poverty forces these children – as young 5 years old – to live in horrendous, unsanitary conditions. They are left wide open to sexual and physical abuse, exploitation, and malnutrition and diseases. 4a

There are over 109,000 children in need of special protection in 13 districts around the country. This is in addition to an estimated 500,000 children nationally. Roughly 300,000 of these children live or work on the streets, and are neglected, lacking protection, or are engaged in dangerous child labour. 1c

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