CRALAF

Provision of legal assistance to children

Cralaf programme on the free legal aid is direct front line service delivery system, that takes the following dimensions, free legal representation, victim support, diversion and legal counseling clinics

Law and policy reform

Cralaf runs an on going programme geared towards lobbying and actively participating in law reform in child-related statutes and policy reform among stakeholders in children’s issues at all levels to enhance the status of children

Advocacy and awareness creation of children rights

Cralaf education campaign is targeted at the whole community and aims at creating awareness on family strengthening, children’s rights ,child abuse and neglect and laws pertaining to the child. Cralaf endeavours to achieve the objectives mentioned above through the following programmatic areas:

1.Media campaigns
2.Elevation of community awareness through community based awareness meetings, performance arts(drama /poetry) and community outreach paralegals
3.Production of informational materials

Training and capacity building

The child protection training has been tailored to the particular needs of different audiences and groups including the media, paralegals, law enforcement officials and members of the civil society so that children ‘s peculiar rights are upheld as a matter of priority

Research, documentation and information sharing. In order to address child protection, Cralaf seeks to:

1.Promote enhanced responsibility and sharing of children problems among stakeholders.
2.Enhance better adaptation to the fast changing and complex trends in child protection in general.
3.Monitor and report on children in conflict with the law in Kenya through an annual report to appraise the public.
4.Carry out research on topical issues affecting children and the law.

Children’s rights to development
Children have the right to develop by going to school, having leisure time where the child can play and by having access to information which is pertaining and relevant to the child. Going to school requires you to be able to learn, pre-school children’s ability to play is essential, as playing enables a child to develop fundamental prerequisites for being a competent and active participant in the modern world. The play constitutes the child’s most immediate setting for developing self-determination-; defined as the ability to gain a constantly increasing influence on – and control of – its own life, together with others.

Children’s rights to protection
Children have a right to special protection. They have the right to be protected from violence and abuse by adults and other children. They also have the right to be protected from war and discrimination.
However, the grim reality is that the rights of children are violated every single day all over the world. Children are beaten up, raped, ignored, kept out of school, deprived of help with their homework, given too little or too poor food, and toddlers are left to fend for themselves to survive in war zones. Children grow up in the streets, in orphanages, and in various foster families – much too far away from the family they are entitled to have.

The fundamental rights of children
Every child has the right to a safe childhood in preferably in a family setup however, this is unfortunately not a matter of course and alot of children are deprived of parental care and a number of them are growing up in institutions and streets isolated from family and community and at risk of abuse. Cralaf’s vision is for every child to have a safe and healthy childhood in a loving family that cares for the child’s development and ensures that the rights of the child are respected.