The state of child welfare in East Africa has received a big boost after youth groups, women groups and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania launch a network which would help track issues facing children.
East Africa Child Rights Network (EACR) which was launched in Kisumu over the weekend is aimed at tracking issues such as child labour, trafficking, abuse and neglect.
The initiative which brings together over 150 players on children issues from the three countries has pointed out to potential risks to the welfare of children from the region, given the regional integration which has opened doors for cross-border trade and interaction.
According to Director Bernard Orimbo, Kenya is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, hence committed to guiding, protecting and supporting children, parents and educators.
"It is a fact that there are so many organizations working on children rescue and their welfare, coming together as East African countries make it easier for us to track this menace," said Orimbo.
Launched just when the world was celebrating International Human Rights Day, Orimbo noted that little attention given to the disadvantaged children, especially those from poor backgrounds has remained a major hurdle in achieving their full rights.
"Why would parents hide disabled children in the houses or abandon them in the streets at this time of age? Why would children below 18 years of age be employed to work in farms and as domestic workers? We have to come together in a massive way to save the children," said Orimbo.
"Such forums improved coordination among grassroots organizations and the introduction of a new coalition of child rights organizations and groups operating at community level, hence concrete suggestions leading up to the development of a Grassroots Programme of Action (GPA) to effectively address issues of girls education, child marriage and other harmful traditional practices as well as sexual reproductive health (SRHR)," said the network's vice chairman Edwin Ochieng.
Ochieng said the collaboration will make it easy for the governments or international partners to easily intervene on the emerging issues on children.