Residents of Langobaya in Malindi, Kilifi County may now be forced to dig deep into their pockets to sustain their families and children who used to live in the children homes and orphanages, after a Non-Governmental Organization exited their children from children homes.
The residents who had children benefiting from the Watoto Kenya, an Italian organization based in Kenya were clueless following the move as many could not come to terms with the new rules.
Josphat Yeri 50, and a father of five said that the area has for long been a bondage of poverty while locals try to make ends meet by engaging in farming activities and small business where earlier farmers saw their crops swept away by floods living them hopelessly.
“The interventions by different organizations in this area especially the Watoto Kenya has been of good help to many, like me I have my daughter who performed well in her examinations but i had no much money to take her to school, she was recruited by Watoto Kenya and now she gets fully scholarship,” he said.
“Majority of people living in this areas are extremely living in poverty, you can county a few of those who might have well paying jobs,” said Yeri.
The children who were staying in different children homes and orphanages will now be forced to go back to their biological families after the National government together with UNESCO announced to close down all the children homes and orphanages over allegation that some of the children homes encourage corruption.
Dhabu Mwalimu 46, and a mother of six who is also a window expressed her concern over the new rules set by the government to close down children homes saying she welcomes the moves even after a staying for long without being close to her two daughters.
“I had my two children both of them girls who were living in Watoto Kenya children homes, now they are back, I have to accept that the initiative has come to an end,” said Dhahabu.
“They (Watoto Kenya), really helped me a lot since I lost my husband five years ago, they have been supporting my children with their basic needs, even coming up with roofing material for my house which had stop due to insufficient funds,” she remarked.
However it may be a new binning for the parents after the Watoto Kenya organization decided to initiate new programmes that we will see more than 100 children who were exited from their respective children homes will receive the same family care services from the organization.
According to the field co-coordinator for Watoto Kenya organization Hillary Mackson she said that they have now embarked on family care services targeting children that used to be under their programme.
“We have not lost nor loose our children its only that they are now re-uniting with their parents, and as for us we shall deliver services and needs to their homes including even other family members,” said Hillary.
“We had 43 families that were under our programme, every single child from the family has now an opportunity to get empowered in terms of education and also business,” she added.
The exercise of exiting the children was such a hard task as most of the children opt to ignore their biological parents and follow their matrons and guardians from the children homes.