Dismantling cycles of harm against children
Cultivating flourishing futures
73% of Maasai girls are survivors of FGM
28% of Maasai girls are forced to be married in exchange for a dowry before they turn 18.
Teenagers in rural Kenya are experiencing unplanned pregnancies at rates that have caused a state of emergency.
Potentially fatal complications range from birth accidents, STIs, and even suicide.
40%
Four out of every ten girls between the ages of 10 and 19 are getting pregnant, dropping out of school, and losing their grip on hope for a flourishing future.
There are several key drivers of these soaring statistics:
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A culture of silence and taboo that has resulted in zero access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education, and shame for unmarried teen mothers that pushes young girls and boys out of the family home.
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Extreme poverty fuels harmful cultural practices such as early marriage by a dowry system that hands girls over, many times as second wives to much older men, in return for livestock and household items.
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Harmful cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood and a cultural signal of readiness for marriage are still being practiced in Kenya.
WHAT WE DO
Crisis Intervention
Rescue services for children in danger of violent or harmful acts are centered on rehabilitative care and reintegration in accordance with best practices and Kenyan law.
Our vulnerable student sponsorship program is a key method of intervention. Preservation of education for children is a safeguard against harmful cultural practices.
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