The Voice of Street Children January 28, 2009
Posted by martinndugu in Uncategorized.Tags: street children, nairobi, Drugs, Glue Sniffing
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It was December last year when I went to visit my friends, those who leave and work on streets of Nairobi. Life looked sophisticated and boring on the streets. The sun was above the horizon as birds flew with joy as they sung their sweet melodies.
When I reached at the base where my friends live, I was shocked by the bad news that one of my friends had died simply because of a road accident. I stayed there for five hours taking with my friends about how they are been harassed by the city council and also the police.
I left them and I went back home but after two weeks I come to realize that he died simply because he was in drugs. He used to sniff glue, I felt so sorry for him because he died young and he was my best friend
I’m pleading to the government of Kenya to take action to those people who sell glue to street children because if this continues many street children will die young and they will not have a bright future.
Glue sniffing is harmful to our children and youths. Let us find our future, please let us stop it!!
How Many More Must Die? January 16, 2009
Posted by martinndugu in Uncategorized.Tags: Harassment, Kenya, mungiki, nairobi, police, street
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Recently eight street association members were shot dead by police being accused of car jacking and mungiki members of which were not true.
We visited the sight where they stay and work and one member of the street association told us that he was luck to escape death, when police came to their base where they do their job which involves recycling metals and plastics material in order to earn a living in Dadora dumping site.
He told us that one police man told the others that they could have first shoot him before they shoot the others as he was walking out of the dumping site but one police told him not to do so.
He also told us that before the police shoot his friend they showed their street association certificate to the police but the police did not want to see. When he moved a few steps forward the police started shooting his friend and that made him run away so he was luck to escape death.
He also told us that the police said they will come back again where they work to shoot the other members who left behind. Now their lives are on danger and they are now pleading to the government to take quick action because if this continues many of them will die young and innocent.
They Were Denied The Right! January 6, 2009
Posted by martinndugu in Uncategorized.Tags: Harassment, Kenya, New year, police
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December 31, will forever remain in my memory. At 11.00 p.m at night, I was a sleep, having forgone my sleep while waiting midnight to celebrate the New Year party.
I received a call from my cousin. He wanted to know if I was aware about the New Year celebration party at his home.The night was cool and bright as people walk around in different directions.
Immediately I set off to town, but on my way I was warned by police who were coming from the opposite direction that my destination was not safe.
Police were shooting in the air to disperse the youths who were shouting and dancing waiting midnight in order to celebrate the New Year.
No sooner had the youths finished shouting than the police quickly run after them and caught them including my friend Ruche a 17 years old boy.
They were taken to police custody with injuries because they were beaten by the police and charged for shouting and touting.
They were released the next day, they did not celebrate the New Year in peace instead they were held in police custody.
I’m pleading to the government of Kenya to take action to these issues of police harassment. If this continues many youths will be on the dark side of life and their future too.
What Should Be Done To Reduce It? November 21, 2008
Posted by martinndugu in Uncategorized.Tags: child Abuse, Kenya, sexual Abuse, sexual tansmmited diseases
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It happened to an orphan, an eleven years old girl in Nairobi but no action has been taken so far. It was on Monday night when suddenly a heard a big scream as I was sleeping.
I looked at my watch it was half past mid night, I wondered who could be screaming at that late hour. The night was cool and bright. The wind was blowing towards the Western direction.
I switched off the light, I heard a big crowd walking on the road since I live near the road. I have not heard any movement or any car moving before and it was risk to walk outside at that hour.
No sooner had I walked outside than I found a crowd of people holding a twenty four years old man who they were accusing him for sexual abuse The man has been sleeping with an eleven years old girl and the girl defended him by saying he is not the one because the man has been giving her money.
The girl now is suffering from sexual transmitted disease gonorrhea. The man was taken to the police station with minor injuries since he was beaten by the crowd but the police told them they do not have any evidence and they released him.
One girl who is a friend of this girl told the crowd that the man has been sleeping with this girl for three months, since the girl is an orphan no one defended her any more because she defended this man not even her family members who said that the girl refused to complete her primary education and she started this behaviors of moving around with men’s.
I felt sorry for her as she is young suffering and she does not have someone to help her that’s why she started this habit so as to earn a living. I’m pleading to the government to take action to these people who abuse children in any form of child abuse, they know that children have they rights too but they go ahead and abuse the m.
If this continues many children will be on the dark side of life and who will be responsible for our children in the future? If the government ignores to take action to these issues of child abuse.
For How Long Should It Continue? October 28, 2008
Posted by martinndugu in Uncategorized.Tags: crime, death, mungiki, nairobi, police, police harassment, street
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It was on a Monday morning, which was a day for everyone in this county to celebrate and remember the heroes who fought for independence but for me it turned to be a mourning day to remember. Life looked sophisticated and boring. The sun was above the Eastern horizon, birds flew with joy as they sung their sweet melodies.
The bad news about the death of my two friends John and Njoroge made my temperature rise up to 28 degrees because they were shot dead by the police claiming that they were ‘Mungiki’ members of which they were not, instead they were members of Globe Street Association who lives and works on streets.
This is Njoroge with his friend's baby.(photo by Elvis Majani)
I remember the last day with them like it was yesterday because I was with them last on 15 October on a forum of the Streets Associations, which was about from streets to microphone. The amazing thing is that they raised their voices on that forum about issues affecting them which included: police harassment, drug abuse, sexual abuse and environment.
This is John. (Photo by Kristina Rosinsky)
I remember the performing a skit about police harassment. They also said that since January up to now this year, the number of those who have been shot dead by the police has increased from six to eight still been accused of Mungiki members.
Mungiki is a kikuyu word which means togetherness and the Mungiki members say that they like peace, working together but the government believes they are bad people who like crime. If this continues our brothers and sister who lives and work on streets will be on the dark side of life since they are been shot for no good reason.
I ‘m pleading to the government of Kenya to take action and do investigation first before shooting someone especially our young brothers and sister who leaves and work on the streets.
She Doesn’t Have A Bright Future October 13, 2008
Posted by martinndugu in Uncategorized.Tags: early marriage, education, girls, Kenya, women's rights
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It was last Sunday evening when I watched the local TV news and I could not believe what I saw with my own eyes. At 14 years, a girl was married and pregnant. This happened to a girl in Turkana District where she was forced by her mother to get married.
As she explained how she got into marriage, I felt sorry for her since her mother denied her the right to get an education. She also explained that she is not the only one who has gone through this situation; there are many young girls who have gone through this. I was reading a report by UNICEF (http://www.unicef.gr/pdfs/Early-Marriage.pdf) that said that 30.5% of women in Kenya get married before the age of 18 years.
This happened to my friend’s cousin in Kikuyu District. His cousin was forced to get married at the age of 16 years so that her family could get rich easily since the family got ten cattle as the bride price. Her mother did not value her education; all she wanted was to get rich. This has made my friend’s cousin feel like an outcast in society and she can’t go back to school. I felt so sorry for her since she did not complete her education. Four years later, she is still married and has one child.
I was reading an Adventist News Network article (http://news.adventist.org/data/2006/1150229698/index.html.en) and I thought this was an interesting part: “ ‘The Maasai community [has] a low opinion [of] women. Hence they believe educating a girl is wasting [a family's] resources because she will one day be married off and end up being of benefit to another family…’” This is the reason why the Maasai want their girls to get into early marriages.
I’m pleading to the government of Kenya to take action on this issue of early marriages that are affecting our young girls by denying them their right to education. The laws are there, but there’s no one to enforce them. The government should call for public awareness where they can discuss the issue with various communities, especially the Maasai. If this is done, the girls will not only be protected from early marriages but they will have a much brighter future too.
Did He Deserve It? October 2, 2008
Posted by martinndugu in Uncategorized.Tags: children, death, Kenya, nairobi, street
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It happened around 3 a.m in the streets of Nairobi. I remember his last day with me like it was yesterday. It was on a Sunday morning when a friend of my younger brother’s called and told me that he had just died.
He snatched a mobile phone from someone in the streets and he faced mob justice. My mind suddenly got overly shocked and became sad and mad about the bad news.
He should have never turned to the streets. It was a choice that was made for him. He decided to go after he failed to complete his primary education.
The following day, I went to the scene where he was beaten and his friends told me that they had called the police for help to take him to hospital because he was losing too much blood since his head had a hole in it, and his leg and hand were broken.
My family arranged for his burial and after six days he was buried. I felt sorry for him because he was our last born brother so he died young. The mob did not do the right thing, instead they could have taken him to the police station so that he could be taken to court and face justice. But they do this because they see a street child as someone who does not have a family and someone who is there to disturb others.
This did not only happen to my brother because there are still others who face the same thing. Yesterday as I watched the news, I saw a boy who also faced the mob and was beaten to death. I felt depressed for him like I did when this happened to my brother, bringing back my memories of him and causing me to realize that no one has dealt with this issue yet .The government should address this issue by informing the public that their negative attitudes towards street children.
What Next After Seven Months? September 23, 2008
Posted by martinndugu in Uncategorized.Tags: displaced, election, hunger, Kenya
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Recently, the West Pokot residents raised their voices to the government to aid them with food since they are suffering from hunger. This happened as a result of the post election violence whereby their animals were stolen, their houses raided by some community members and their property destroyed.
As I watched this on the news I felt sad for them. The government so far has not taken any action, not even the Red Cross Society of Kenya has. I think the government should help them for the time being since now they have no food.
One resident explained how the hunger has affected them by saying many children are dying due to lack of food and medication. My friend John was one of those who were displaced during the post election violence and he told me he feels bad since their property was destroyed and their livestock was also taken away.
John is living in the Nakuru camp for the internally displaced people. He told me that the government now is taking action to take them back to their home and he is delighted about this. I will be glad if the government or any other well wishers will try to aid these people by donating anything they have because, for me, I know how it feels to be hungry without food for some days.
Children Have Their Rights Too September 17, 2008
Posted by martinndugu in Uncategorized.Tags: abuse, children, Kenya, nairobi, rights
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Recently, in our home area a child was being abused by his father. He burned his child by dripping melted plastic material all over his body. His father claimed that his child had taken his thirty shillings and went to buy sweets and snacks. The neighbours who live near this man’s house reported the matter to the police and he was arrested, but within two weeks he was released from the jail.
This hurt me so much that I wished I had powers to punish this man. This means that the government did not take this seriously enough. If the government continues like this, it means that many children will continue being abused and their rights will be violated.
It is the work of the government to take responsibility for those children whose rights are being violated and take action for those parents who abuse their children’s rights. Today in Naivasha, many cases of child abuse have been reported, but the government is not taking any action. A child was tortured by her mother and also many young girls have been raped and some have died. These examples show why the Act of 2001 enumerates the rights of children and requires everyone to observe them.
Children should not be discriminated against for their colour, birth, religion or economic and political status. Every child has a right to life, education, health and medical care, protection from torture, protection from child labour, privacy and parental guidance. Those who abuse their children and torture them like the man who burned his child should face justice and punishment.
