Since inception in 2006, the centre has recorded nearly 3 million cases

Statistics at the ChildLine Centre, a helpline that works in partnership with the Government to stop child abuse, gives damning statistics of abuse of children. Photo:Courtesy

The caller was hesitant at first, stammering and whispering over what she termed ‘something horrible’ happening to a neighbour’s child.

Upon being nudged, the woman on the ‘116’ helpline revealed that she had just spoken to a 10-year-old child who has endured sexual abuse since she moved in with foster parents. She is an orphan.

“It was shocking. The child was in pain, and she was confused on what to do about it,” says ChildLine Kenya Executive Director Martha Sunda.

By the time she was hanging up, it was apparent the little girl needed to be rescued urgently.

The next morning, a team of rescuers, including a representative from the Children’s department arrived at the girl’s school and took her away. The man who had sexually assaulted her went into hiding, never to be seen again.

“It broke my heart. No child deserves to go through that. It is sickening,” she says, adding that the girl later told of how her foster father would abuse her and threaten to throw her out if she failed to cooperate.

It is only after a neighbour noticed her odd walking style that she reluctantly revealed the extent of the abuse.

“Sadly, there are many children like her. It could be happening to a child now as we speak,” says Ms Sunda.

Statistics at the ChildLine Centre, a helpline that works in partnership with the Government to stop child abuse, gives damning statistics of abuse of children. Since inception in 2006, the centre has recorded nearly 3 million abuse cases, and the number keeps rising.

For the girl who was saved by the centre, the immediate plan was to put her in a safe home, and enroll her in school, away from the foster father.

Most childrens’ homes were however, reluctant to take her in because of insufficient funding while some said she was not within the age group they accommodate.

“Finding a home to accept a child is not as easy as people think. Most institutions prefer to support a child within a family,” Sunda says adding that homes shy away from institutionalising children and instead want them to live within a community.

“It is understandable because children socialise better when they live among relatives. An orphan gets financial support from donors while staying with relatives. They do not have to go into a home – but social givers have to ensure the relatives provide safety,” says Brenda Akoth, a child psychologist.

Sunda says the girl has become the ‘child of the call centre’. She is now in a boarding school, but when schools close, she goes back to the centre.

The school administrator says the girl seemed lost when she was admitted. She would have moments of self-doubt, and anxiety, but has gotten better over time.

“She is currently among the best performers in school and emerges top in her class for the past two years,” says the school administrator.

Sunda warns that orphans and vulnerable children are often at a greater risk of being abused. The Kenya Demographic Health Survey indicates that nationally, only 55 per cent of children aged 0-17 live with their biological parents, projecting possibilities of rampant abuse of children who depend on foster care.

“We are looking at a crisis, and if something is not done soon, we will end up with a ruined generation,” says Sunda.