Protecting rights of orphan and vulnerable children: no substitute for community action in Nyanza, Kenya Get access Arrow

Abstract

This article focuses on the plight of orphans of HIV and AIDS victims and other vulnerable children in the Nyanza Province of Kenya. It draws upon participatory research conducted by the author and his colleagues in Nyanza, which has the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the country, into the vulnerabilities faced by such children and community action to address them. Based on the insights gained from a series of research projects undertaken in the province, linked with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, it makes a strong case for placing children at the centre of all developmental programmes. Using case studies, it argues that community action must take precedence over externally driven programmes to provide support and succour to the children. External support programmes, whether by the government or non-government organizations, must take local socio-economic and cultural factors into consideration and supplement, rather than replace, community initiatives.