Hyrax Hill Museum Curator Lilian Amwanda Archives

Various lobby groups under the umbrella Nakuru Child Rights Network have joined hands in calling for protection of children rights.

The Network has commenced creating awareness on child rights even as 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence commences.

Speaking at Hyrax Hill Museum on Wednesday during a dialogue forum between parents and children,Cosmas Mutua said such dialogues are key towards realization of children rights.

Mutua terming such a move as the only way to help understand what challenges children face in life.

He added that issues of Gender Based Violence have continued to derail the well-being of children in society.

“We are here to launch 16 Days of Activism.We are aware GBV is a concern and that’s why we have engagement with children and parents through the dialogues” said Mutua.

The dialogues,be says target teenagers who are now idle at home due to COVID-19 pandemic that led to schools closure.

During the dialogues,teenagers are taken through de-briefing sessions to ensure they are mentaly fit as well as matters reproductive health and empowerment.

Mutua challenging parents to also play their role of parenting to avert more problems in society.

“We are also targeting parents for we believe they failed in one way on the other when it comes to parenting” he said.

The Nakuru Child Rights Network also calling on both counties and national government to ensure adequate funding for gender programs.

The host of the event Hyrax Hill Museum Curator Ms Lilian Amwanda on her part calling for need to address the challenges facing children in society.

Ms Amwanda stating that, “any Gbv against parents affects children in different ways.”

She is however optimistic that the children-parents dialogue will help address some of the challenges children face.

Lions Club of Menengai was the key sponsor of the event.

The club through President Rani Ramchandani donated dignity packs to 300 children.

“We have served 300 Children.For boys we have 100 benefiting with dignity packs while 200 girls get sanitary pads,soaps and inner clothes” said Rani.

Various organizations in Nakuru on Sunday congregated at the Hyrax Hill Museum for the celebrations to mark this year’s International Day of Girl Child even as talk about empowerment of girl child took center-stage.

Under the theme “My voice, our equal future”, speakers who addressed at the event calling for concerted effort in ensuring protection of the girl child rights.

Vera Technical Training College Director Ms Mercy Makena Chweya who was the Chief Guest at the event challenged the male gender (boys in society to all play their role in protecting girl child.

**Girls and guests during the event.PHOTO/Pristone Mambili.**

She noted that boy child cannot be left behind in advocating for the rights of girl child hence should be champions of the same.

“As a society we cannot just sit and leave behind the boy child.So even as we advocate for the rights of our girls, let us also think about the boy child as champions of girl child rights” said Ms Makena.

Hyrax Hill Museum Curator Lilian Amwanda on her part called on both the Government, human rights’ groups, schools, parents, churches and other stakeholders to be part of the process of empowering the girl child.

According to Ms Amwanda, this is the only way of bringing to an end the victimization and marginalization of the girl child in the society.

“The girl child is a critical component towards economic growth of the country and an important ingredient for the achievement of the country’s vision 2030 and so we all have a responsibility as society” she said.

Ms Amwanda added that empowering the girl child is a sure way of breaking the cycle of inequalities that have bedeviled the girl child over the years.

She was however quick to note that the society has begun embracing the girl child and this will even make them come out and speak for their rights.

“As far as the theme is concerned, I can say that we are at least somewhere and our girls in society can now speak out of the challenges they face hence address” said Ms Amwanda.

Lions Club of Nakuru,Lions Club of Menengai,Centre for Enhancing Democracy and Good Governance-CEDGG,Midrift, Tobias Foundation, National Gender and Equality commission,Youth Bila Noma among others were represented.

It should be noted that Lions Club of Nakuru was the main sponsor of the event.

This year’s celebrations come at a time when due to COVID-19 pandemic, there have been reported rising cases of abuse against the girl child.