Speak out. act. change

Advocacy –We promote child rights

SOS Children's Villages in Kenya carries out advocacy efforts and engagements, especially with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection through high-level engagements with the Cabinet Secretary, the Principal Secretary, the various State Department Secretaries and the respective Directors of the State Departments under the ministry. This has helped strengthen public laws and policies in favor of and in the best interest of children and our target families.

We are involved in strategic partnerships contributing significantly to advocating for children within our target group on varied issues that affect them; we collaborate with the Joining Forces Alliance for Children in Kenya, various state and non-state actors and in technical working groups at County and National level in order to advocate for the rights of children. Our work at SOS Children's Villages in Kenya revolves around the protection and development of children in a family environment. Through our advocacy at county, national, regional and international level, we engage decision makers on the rights and needs of children, to bring changes in policy and practices that are geared towards ensuring that the best interests of the child are protected.

There have been numerous program location and national level advocacy initiatives happening in the MA. In child rights advocacy, the MA heightened its individual and joint advocacy efforts working very closely with the Joining Forces Alliance for Children in Kenya, DCS, NCCS, UNICEF and other partners. These heightened efforts have seen the fast-tracked signing of the Children's Bill 2020 by the president of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta.

We have contributed to the development review and implementation of various policies and laws that protect our target group; lobbying for the enactment of the Children's Bill 2021, dissemination of the Violence Against Children (VAC) report and the National Prevention and Response Plan on ending VAC, the Child Protection in Emergencies Operational Guidelines for Child Protection Practitioners in Kenya and the guidelines for the formation and operation of area advisory councils among others.

We have continued to use the media to raise awareness on topical issues and advocate for the rights of children. We have provided opportunities to children to participate in varied child-focused issues. One of our child representatives from SOS Children's Villages Mombasa participated on a breakfast show on NTV where he talked about issues related to the theme of the Global Partnership for Education Summit. The theme highlighted financing Global Partnership for Education 2021- 2025.

More than 113 children in SOS Children's Villages in Kenya's Children's Councils and other child participation platforms.