Kenyans asked to offer decent lives to orphans

By Ally Jamah

Kenyans have been asked to adopt thousands of orphans to reduce the number of abandoned children.

This was the key message of Government officials as they declared November an adoption month to highlight the severe challenges children without parents faced.

"Kenyans need to overcome their prejudices against adoption and help our orphaned children live decent lives within families," said Secretary for Children Affairs in the Ministry of Gender and Children Development Jacqueline Oduol.

Children Affairs Director Ahmed Hussein said Kenya faces a huge challenge of handling orphans.

"We want people to adopt these children instead of letting them to live in orphanages where they could be abused or be psychologically disoriented," he said.

According to estimates Kenya has at least 2.3 million orphans.

Ms Catherine Kimotho of Unicef said past studies indicated orphanages are unable to take care of the emotional needs of children.

"Even if an orphanage provides good food, shelter and clothes, there is a big gap left in a child who needs somebody to call mum or dad," she said. Kimotho said family setting is the natural place to bring up children and urged Kenyans to provide homes to thousands of abandoned children.

Figures show Kenyans adopted only 69 children, while foreigners adopted 31 children.

Officials also lamented that very few men adopt children making it a woman’s affair. Ahmed said the breakdown of traditional extended family had left many orphaned children without care.