Hundreds of street urchins from Kisumu County have a reason to smile after Kisumu Central Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Joshua Oron unveiled a plan to reintegrate them into society.
The MP will help to reintegrate street children into formal education and vocational training institutions to help them get skills that will help them eke out a living.
The MP said the beneficiaries will receive full scholarships to complete their education.
He announced the initiative during a Christmas party organised by his office at Central Square in Kisumu’s central business district, which brought together hundreds of street families.
Dr. Oron said the programme was intended to restore dignity and open up opportunities for children who dropped out of school because of socio-economic and cultural challenges.
Those affected, he said, will be enrolled in schools at levels corresponding to where they left off, while others will be placed in vocational and technical institutions to acquire practical skills such as welding, tailoring and mechanics.
The legislator cautioned against stigmatising street children without addressing the underlying causes of their circumstances, noting that many of them were gifted and intelligent but were pushed out of the education system by factors beyond their control.
He said his office has been running similar rehabilitation initiatives for the past 19 years, with several beneficiaries being successfully reintegrated into society.
Dr. Oron added that the programme will go beyond classroom learning to nurture talent and equip the children with employable skills, enabling them to earn a living and make a positive contribution to society.
By Chris Mahandara
