Refugee Children Get a Fresh Start at Kenya's Kakuma Camp

Driven out of their homes by war, famine and persecution, 190,000 refugees and asylum-seekers live in northwestern Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Refugee Settlement. Established in 1992 following the arrival of the "Lost Boys of Sudan," Kakuma and Kalobeyei serve refugees from 19 countries, including South Sudan, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Uganda and Rwanda — over 80 percent of them women and children.

Kakuma will host the first-ever TEDx event at a refugee camp on June 9

Some 42 percent of Kenyans live below the poverty line, and the nation has struggled to accommodate the needs of the growing refugee population. UNICEF works with partners in Kakuma and Kalobeyei to provide vital services — safe water, nutrition, early childhood programs, education, counseling, sanitation, immunization and medical care — for children whose lives have been disrupted by conflict. 

Kakuma will host the first-ever TEDx event at a refugee camp on June 9.Current and former Kakuma residents and supporters will come together to share their stories, including model and refugee rights activist Halima Aden, who was born in Kakuma in 1997.

On a recent field visit with UNICEF staff members and partners, UNICEF USA Global Programs Associate Coco Vonnegut met with teachers, administrators, students and camp residents. Below, she shares some of her observations of UNICEF in action: 

Blocks.700w.UNICEFUSAKakuma-79.jpg

On average, there are 133 children per classroom in Early Childhood Programs at Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp. UNICEF and partners are working to build more classrooms. They also provide teacher training and psychosocial services for children who have traumatized by violence. © Njeri Gakuo

Kakuma's schools are hugely overcrowded, with an average of 133 children per classroom

"During our field visit, we visited several schools and Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers. In Kakuma refugee camp, ECD programs have an average of 133 children per classroom. Classrooms of this size threaten the quality of a child’s education. While the primary language of instruction is Swahili, schools can be a microcosm, with students from over 10 countries in a single classroom. We were incredibly impressed by the teachers’ skill and patience in this learning environment. UNICEF and its partners adopt a holistic approach to ECD for refugee and host community children, providing psychosocial services alongside education, depending on what the children need.

"Many of these kids have experienced trauma: seeing conflict firsthand, violence within the camp itself, separation from family or sexual abuse. To be able to balance the different stages of where these children are in their recovery and still provide learning is a huge challenge.

ArmUp.700w.-116.jpg

A teacher leads a group of students in a game at a UNICEF-supported Child-Friendly Space at the Kakuma Reception Center. © Njeri Gakuo

"Just over 1,000 students between the ages of 4 and 6 attend classes at the Gilo School. They have several classrooms and a specialized program for students with disabilities. Spending time at schools and ECD centers in Kakuma was often a joyful experience. Kids are encouraged to play and really be kids. But, there is no denying that classrooms are under-resourced.

“The headmistress at the Gilo School, Lucy, shared some of her challenges with our group. There are 136 students for each latrine. The maximum should be 25. Lucy told us that one textbook is shared between seven kids. To be able to engage students in this kind of atmosphere is incredible. Meeting teachers who have been trained to work within such large groups of students and provide a quality education was inspiring. This is where UNICEF can make all the difference, working with implementing partners in the field to keep pace with the growing demands of schools and ECD classes.”

UNICEF-trained teachers and counselors work with children who have been traumatized by violence

Animals.700w.UNICEFUSAKakuma-125.jpg

Children sculpt animals from mud at a Child-Friendly Space supported by UNICEF and the Waldorf Kakuma Project at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya's Turkana district. © Njeri Gakuo

"The Furaha Center is a Child-Friendly Space supported by UNICEF, the Waldorf Kakuma Project and other partners. The classes encourage creativity. In one class, children were sculpting animals out of clay. They link these creative exercises to leadership, because when you create something, you're really molding it and shaping the direction of it. They use these activities to empower the children, so they can feel in control after experiencing trauma or conflict.

"We had an opportunity to visit the Future School, where UNICEF USA’s partners are supporting the construction of new classroom spaces. At the construction site, I met a woman named Shantale and her 6-month-old baby, Beatrice. She was resilient. Shantale told us about how she and her husband left the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her husband was targeted as a leader in their community and they needed to flee. It took her family 10 years before they reached Kakuma. Shantale has four children of her own, and during her journey to Kakuma she met and adopted three orphaned children who had been displaced by the violence. Shantale’s husband has been employed to help build new spaces at the Future School, where three of their children are enrolled. 

FutureSchool.700.UNICEFUSAKakuma2-263.jpg

Fito, 12, is a student at the Future School in the Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement. He wants to become a doctor or a teacher someday. "I'd like to teach children in school because that's what my heart feels like doing," he says. © Njeri Gakuo

"During our talk with Shantale, members of the UNICEF Education team were able to provide counsel on medical treatment for her child, who was feeling unwell. They provided transportation to a nearby clinic and helped her figure out what papers she would need when she arrived. This team exemplifies everything that UNICEF does. On the one hand, they do upstream work with the Ministry of Education, advocating at the highest level. And at the same time, they are in the field to the fullest extent, advocating for children in every instance. UNICEF really does put children first."

Help UNICEF improve education and other vital services for refugee children and their families in Kakuma and Kalobeyei. 

Sex-trafficking sting rescues nearly 160 children, authorities say

By Mike PetchenikOperation Safe Summer was a collaborative effort between the FBI’s Atlanta field office and 38 law enforcement agencies in six metro counties, assistant Special Agent in Charge Matt Alcoke told WSB-

“They are crimes of special concern to the FBI and to law enforcement generally,” Alcoke said. “Because the victims are so vulnerable as children and because the offenders could be from just about any walk of life, from a gang member all the way up to someone who is highly successful and wealthy.”

The sting ended with nearly 160 children rescued, including one as young as 3 years old, and nearly 150 arrests, convictions or sentences, officials said.

Alcoke said the operation was scheduled before the summer months as a way to put a dent in a trade that preys on children at a time when they have more freedom.

“It’s important for those of us who are responsible for the children, the parents, the guardians, the older siblings, to not let children fall away (from) those strongly centered circles of importance,” Alcoke said.

Among those charged, Alcoke said Trevey Parks was a convicted sex offender out of prison who forced a juvenile to work in the sex trade for him.

“Trevey Parks is one of the worst of the worst,” Alcoke said. “He enticed a child to travel for sex with him. He was ultimately arrested in a joint effort by us and the local police."

In Alpharetta, Georgia, police told Petchenik they arrested several suspected pimps and prostitutes and rescued one teenager who’d been forced into sexual servitude.

“A lot of people don’t realize these things happen here,” department spokesman Howard Miller told Petchenik.

Miller said detectives scoured the internet for evidence of prostitution and then moved in to make arrests, but he said it’s been getting more difficult.

“Backpage has been taken down. A lot these pages will pop up and be available for a few days. They’ll have the types of information and the people available on it, our agents will take a look at that and start their investigation and before they know it, the page is down,” Miller said.

Area residents rally for 'missing children'; unaccompanied minor immigrants

by Ricardo Torres

RACINE — Members of the public and the Racine Interfaith Coalition gathered on the steps of City Hall on Monday to ask a pointed question: “Where are the children?”

The question is reference to information that came out in April that the federal Department of Health and Human Services allegedly has lost track of more than 1,400 children who were picked up as unaccompanied minors at the southern border of the United States.

Linda Boyle, co-president of RIC, said the children are being used to “punish immigrants” who have come into the country.

“We must take action,” Boyle said. “We must demand that this action stops.”

Boyle lead the group of about 50 people in a prayer asking for “the courage to stand up in their defense against those who would do them harm.”

Having tried to influence House Speaker Paul Ryan, Boyle said individuals like Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, might be able to sway their party ally Ryan.

“I think we start locally and put pressure on our local politicians,” Boyle said. “It will trickle up. If we put enough pressure on (them) it will trickle up. We always talk about Paul Ryan — he’s not listening. But if the right people start contacting him like Mr. Vos or Mr. Wanggaard, they’ll get the idea.”

Historical ties

Racine resident and longtime immigrant advocate Maria Morales spoke about the necessity to make sure this fight doesn’t end.

“Thousands of families are being torn apart at the border,” Morales said. “We have to stand up and speak up for these kids, they’re defenseless.”

For Morales, speaking about immigration on the steps of City Hall brought back memories to 2003, she said, of fighting for immigrant rights and children, often known as “Dreamers.” The label is a reference to the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for those children who were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents.

“This is the place where we had the first immigrant march in Racine,” Morales said. “We did our immigrant march here because we were doing a freedom ride to Washington, D.C., supporting the DREAM Act, supporting a humane legalization legislation for all immigrants. This is home to us.”

Another speaker was Kennia Coronado, a Horlick High School graduate and currently a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

From her time living in California, Coronado said anti-immigrant legislation has “persisted since I was a child.”

“I don’t remember a single point in my life when I have not been helping or organizing my family and immigrant families alike to fight for our existence,” Coronado said. “We continuously have to live under these fears and the fears of our families being separated.”

After meeting in Racine, the group met again in Kenosha at Ryan’s office and held another rally.

Original Post

How Fife Is Tackling The Rising Problem Of Missing People

by Scott McCartney

“We want people to know that there’s always help out there. There’s always support available.” Sergeant Craig Stephen is at the frontline of police efforts in Fife to halt the rising number of people who go missing.

As Fife Division’s missing persons operational co-ordinator, he knows better than anyone that finding someone who has gone missing is often only half the battle. And the partnership which was set up to tackle the growing problem of missing people last year between police, NHS Fife, education, Fife Council and social work is marking six months in operation.

Among the chief concerns are children, particularly those who may go missing on more than one occasion. That’s why the partnership now looks at the reasons behind the problem, and aims to help those who may be likely to go missing in future. “With young people, growing up is difficult, and there are lots of triggers,” says sgt Stephen. “It’s usually the lack of support and the lack of people to talk to.” The partnership is already bearing fruit. One case highlighted was a 16-year-old boy who had gone missing on no fewer than 21 occasions while in supported accommodation. The group looked to identify the reasons behind it and changed his care plan and accommodation to better suit his needs. As a result, he has not been reported missing since. Sgt Stephen says: “From working with various support groups, the message is that these children found somebody that they could talk to, so that rather than running away from their troubles, they could address them.”

During April there were 79 children reported missing in Fife. These children, many of whom are living in a care setting, have varied and complex needs. There are some people who may go missing a few times, it’s all about identifying those people quicker,” says Sgt Stephen. “The changes come not so much at the point of going missing, but at the point of being traced. “We can review each and every missing person episode. Because of the process we’ve put in place we can quickly identify who’s been missing before, what risks have been identified before, and if things are escalating. “That’s then passed to the other organisations represented on the partnership, be it social work, education, or NHS so we can do everything possible to prevent a repeat episode. “We can then ensure they’ve got support to address whatever troubles are facing them, so they don’t feel the need to go missing again.”

For those children who do disappear, they may not realise the dangers that can await them once they’re away from the safety of home. They can become involved in child sex exploitation, alcohol misuse, fall into the wrong crowd, and become involved in criminality themselves. “They’re out there without guidance,” says sgt Stephen. “So they don’t have an understanding of the risks that they’re putting themselves in by going missing. “There are always people who don’t want to have contact with the police, for whatever reason, and they’re more likely to be the ones that don’t want to make themselves known to us. “But we’re obviously duty-bound to investigate, and ensure that they’re safe. And in any missing person investigation, that’s all we’re doing; making sure they’re safe and well. Any other issues can be dealt with separately.”

There have been concerns that some youngsters may see it all as a game, seeing how long they can disappear for, but Sgt Stephen says this is rarely the case in reality. “With some kids there might be a certain celebrity status of being the missing person for X number of days, – but it’s certainly not something we’ve seen a great deal of in Fife. “When people go missing it’s normally for a reason. “And I think even with those cases there will always be a reason behind it.”

There are a number of avenues to turn to, like the Runaway Helpline, and for care-experienced children there’s a Fife group called 2B Heard which provides support for young people in care. “I think the message is that if you are missing, the easiest thing is just to make contact, whether it’s through police, support agencies, parents, or guardians, and let people know that you’re safe and well. “It’s important that they try and find that support wherever they feel comfortable, whether it’s through a parent, trusted friend, care worker, or teacher – anyone that they trust. Speak out, people do want to listen, and people do want to help. “It may stop them taking unnecessary risks by making the decision to go missing.”

 Original Article

The Government ‘Lost’ Nearly 1500 Children It Separated From Immigrant Parents

Nearly 1,500 migrant children placed in homes by government agencies are now missing

The Department of Health and Human Services is reporting they cannot account for nearly 1,500 migrant children who have been separated from their parents as a result of current immigration laws. Earlier this week, federal officials testified before a Senate subcommittee that the missing children were initially placed in the homes of adult “sponsors” in communities across the country — and now 1,475 of those children cannot be found.

From October to December of 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) checked with the agency responsible for placing the children with sponsors. Here’s what they found: Out of the 7,635 children, 6,075 of the children were still living with their sponsors, 28 had run away, five had been deported and 52 were living with someone else.

The 1,475 remaining children could not be found after making follow-up calls to check on their safety. Which means their whereabouts are unaccounted for and the children are missing. It’s a heartbreaking reality for many migrant families who have been separated — perhaps permanently — from their children.

Once migrant children turn 18, they can’t be held in facilities run by HHS, and the agency is required to let the Department of Homeland Security know whether the children should be detained or released into the community. But HHS only forwards those plans for one of every three children, the subcommittee found.

Many immigrant families are separated at the border, struggling to find each other among the federal agencies in charge. According to the Houston Chronicle, there aren’t many procedures in place to assist them in reuniting. In many cases, they never do. “We have seen children as young as 18 months deported without their parents and more commonly, parents deported without their children,” said Michelle Brané, executive director of the migrant rights program at the Women’s Refugee Commission, a national advocacy group. “Parents arrive in Central America with no idea of how to get their children back.”

Go ahead and let that sink in: children as young as 18 months old. Deported without their parents. Or vice versa. How can our government get away with treating human beings this way? In the wake of this news, many people are asking the same question — where are the children?

Many are also demanding action from the government, specifically the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection.

While it’s true many of the children went missing before the Trump presidency, it’s safe to say his administration’s stance on immigration — and using the separation of families as a threat to deter immigrants from entering the U.S. — will only lead to further incompetence on the government’s part to help locate these children.

Earlier this month, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified before a Senate committee: “My decision has been that anyone who breaks the law will be prosecuted,” she said. “If you are parent, or you’re a single person or if you happen to have a family, if you cross between the ports of entry we will refer you for prosecution. You have broken U.S. law.”

The ACLU has created a petition addressed to the Director of Homeland Security, stating: “The Trump administration is sending the clear message that immigrants aren’t welcome here – and they don’t mind sacrificing constitutional rights and basic human decency just to get that across. They want to scare people away from coming to this country to seek a better life and aren’t afraid to admit it.”

Trinity Mount Ministries

New ID cards promise to increase child safety in APX

WoodmenLife Chapter 71 of Appomattox has partnered with the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Department to provide a Smart 30D identification system. This system will be used to create identification cards for children, with information printed on them including the child’s name, their parent(s) name(s), phone number, and address, as well as information such as the child’s height, weight, eye color and hair color. 

This service will be available to the public during various public events throughout the county. The Sheriff’s Department will have a tent or table where parents can bring their children to their mobile setup and have an I.D. card made. 

Woodmen of the World representative Becky Henderson was pleased to present such an important safety tool. 

“Sergeant Nipper presented to us the need for this system,” she explained. “One of Woodmen’s goals is community outreach and providing services to our community.”

The Smart 30D identification system is designed to work well with the Project Life Saver devices that the Sheriff’s Department offers as well. These small devices that look similar in shape to a wristwatch contain transmitters which transmit a signal to the receiver at the Sheriff’s Department. If a child, or elderly person dealing with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, for example, is wearing this device and becomes lost, the Sheriff’s Department can use the receiver to help find them. 

If a person is set up in the system with the Project Life Saver program, their Smart 30D I.D. card will provide their transmitter number, which would assist greatly in a search if they should get lost. 

The identification cards, alone, can be helpful in the event that a child should become lost, because if the child has the I.D. card in their pocket, they can show it to a helpful adult, such as a police officer or another authority figure.

If the child does not carry the card, their parent can carry it and have it available to present to authorities in the case that the child should go missing. Because the card contains a photo and description of the child, the search process could begin faster and easier with this sort of documentation.   

“This is something that Appomattox is fortunate to have gotten from Woodmen of the World,” Sergeant K.C. Nipper stated. 

Sheriff Barry Letterman agreed.  

“ We appreciate the Woodmen of the World’s assistance in purchasing the equipment, and it will be used to help the community during public safety events,” Letterman said.

Times Virginian

TrinityMount.Info

New ID cards promise to increase child safety in APX

WoodmenLife Chapter 71 of Appomattox has partnered with the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Department to provide a Smart 30D identification system. This system will be used to create identification cards for children, with information printed on them including the child’s name, their parent(s) name(s), phone number, and address, as well as information such as the child’s height, weight, eye color and hair color. 

This service will be available to the public during various public events throughout the county. The Sheriff’s Department will have a tent or table where parents can bring their children to their mobile setup and have an I.D. card made. 

Woodmen of the World representative Becky Henderson was pleased to present such an important safety tool. 

“Sergeant Nipper presented to us the need for this system,” she explained. “One of Woodmen’s goals is community outreach and providing services to our community.”

The Smart 30D identification system is designed to work well with the Project Life Saver devices that the Sheriff’s Department offers as well. These small devices that look similar in shape to a wristwatch contain transmitters which transmit a signal to the receiver at the Sheriff’s Department. If a child, or elderly person dealing with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, for example, is wearing this device and becomes lost, the Sheriff’s Department can use the receiver to help find them. 

If a person is set up in the system with the Project Life Saver program, their Smart 30D I.D. card will provide their transmitter number, which would assist greatly in a search if they should get lost. 

The identification cards, alone, can be helpful in the event that a child should become lost, because if the child has the I.D. card in their pocket, they can show it to a helpful adult, such as a police officer or another authority figure.  

If the child does not carry the card, their parent can carry it and have it available to present to authorities in the case that the child should go missing. Because the card contains a photo and description of the child, the search process could begin faster and easier with this sort of documentation.   

“This is something that Appomattox is fortunate to have gotten from Woodmen of the World,” Sergeant K.C. Nipper stated. 

Sheriff Barry Letterman agreed.  “ We appreciate the Woodmen of the World’s assistance in purchasing the equipment, and it will be used to help the community during public safety events,” Letterman said. 

Times Virginia

TrinityMount.Info