An organization in Kisumu on Friday launched a campaign aimed at providing technical and vocational training to orphans from child-headed households in Kisumu, Siaya and Homabay counties.
The campaign by Omega Foundation is to rally members of the public and the business community in the three counties to raise Sh. 5 million towards skills based training for an initial 50 beneficiaries.
The organization Chief Executive Officer Wilfred Owuor said the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Kenya is estimated to be over 2.6 million and 50 percent of these are found in the Western region.
Owour said the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS have led to approximately 22,000 child-headed households where older children are left to fend for their younger siblings in the three counties.
“We must help these children, it is not their choice to remain orphan at tender ages,” he said.
Speaking during the launch of the program in Kisumu, Owuor said the campaign would go a long way in supplementing efforts by the national and county governments to reach out to orphans and other vulnerable children.
He said the project seeks to encourage the culture of the community philanthropy by supporting the local civil societies.
Owuor said donor funding is dwindling and the government is pushing for local civil society to do more local resource mobilization.