Salvation Army, Wycliffe Oparanya to rehabilitate street children

The Salvation Army Kakamega Corps in partnership with Kakamega County Government have launched a programme to rehabilitate street children, empower women and also support development projects in schools within the county.

Salvation Army Kenya West Territory commander, Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, said the programme, which will include partnerships, is geared towards improving education standards in the county and eradicating homeless children and commercial sex workers from major towns.

“Working with the government will help eradicate street children by taking them to rehabilitation centre, empower women not to engage in commercial sex and also sponsor needy children to acquire quality education. Good leadership will improve the county’s economy,” Hodder said.

Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said that street children have become a threat to the security adding that the launched programme will bring sanity and give children in the streets a right to basic needs.

Difficult life

 “Street children have become a menace in the county and institution for rehabilitating them is being opened soon. We should nurture these children by bringing them on board to live a normal life like others who go to school rather than engage in drugs,” Oparanya said.

The two were speaking during the launch of the programme held at Salvation Army Church in Amalemba.

“Constant police harassment and difficult life on the streets expose them to danger and can easily transform them to criminals,” said Oparanya.