SOCIAL  PROGRAMME

Social Welfare Co-ordinator  -  Mr. Basil Munyao
 

The Social Welfare Programme was initiated in 1973, at Christ the King Cathedral Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru, the main objective was to cater for the problems faced by the urban destitute whose number had increased due to rural-urban migration and the fast growing population. The Program was initiated as result of the Diocesan Baseline Survey that was carried out the same year (1973) to identify and prioritize the needs of the community within Nakuru Town and its environs. 

The findings clearly reflected social-economical problems such as, landlessness, poor housing and lack of basic needs. Most prevalent were, alcoholism, drugs abuse and street children phenomenon. Since its inception, the programme through its positive interventions has endeavoured to respond to the needs of the communities. This has been made possible by the increasing of participation and involvement of the communities, institutions and partners in the plight of the poor.
 

The Programme Broad Objective

To improve the quality of life of the communities through active participation on personal development. 

Specific Objectives

• To educate and create awareness on problem-solving capabilities and tapping of resources through guidance and counselling.
• To improve access and utilization of integrated quality guiding and counselling services for marginalized persons.
• To improve the coordination and management of services delivery to the target population.
• To foster an enabling environment and full participation of the community in rehabilitation of the marginalized persons.

Activities

• Provide social interventions at all levels.
• Promote character formation through occupational therapy, remedial teaching and eventual placement in institutions of learning and vocational training.
• Advocate and lobby for the child rights and implementation of Children Act-2001.
• Conducting children conferences for awareness creation and sensitization of issues affecting their growth and development e.g. HIV/AIDS, STDs and drug abuse.
• Home visits and follow-ups in schools, colleges, hospitals and business places.
• Instil sense of responsibility on clients.
• Capacity building initiatives for social advancement in the society.
• Assist clients to initiate legal and viable Income Generating Activities (IGAs)
• Formation of self-help groups.
• Mobilization for awareness creation and sensitization of the target groups in HIV/AIDS risks, self-esteem, acceptable and problem identification. 
• Promote self-care for People Living with AIDS (PLWA).
• Educate target groups on possible solutions to their problems.
• Resettlement of the target groups.
• Initiate viable and tangible projects to enhance programme activities’ sustainability.

 Targets

 To realize its set goals, the programme did initiate viable project targeting the following vulnerable groups:-

 NB/  The Rehabilitation/Formation of the marginalized ideally is carried out both individually and     collectively.

 Strategy

 For the Social Welfare Programme impact to be felt within the vulnerable members of the community, the following activities are employed.

Personnel

The social Welfare Programme is managed by an Advisory Board , under the Chairmanship of the Programme Dean. The committee comprises of two priests, seven lay persons, among them three ladies and four men.

 The programme is manned by a Coordinator whose main obligation is to coordinate the programme activities. With him is a team of nine Technical Staff (social workers and four supportive staff. The programme also has five Volunteers and three remedial teachers seconded to the Street Children Rehabilitation Centres by the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Heritage.

 Operations

The programme services are focused on the whole Diocese but mainly in eight (8) Parishes, two Street Children Rehabilitation Centres and Resettlement Schemes within and beyond the Diocesan jurisdiction.

 Parishes with social workers are:

 
Street Children Rehabilitation Centers

 The project has two non-residential drop-in centres and they are both Christian and community oriented. The Mwangaza Street Children Rehabilitation Project is the oldest in the region and has witnessed many potential youth (beneficiaries) benefit from it. Since its inception in 1976, the project has rehabilitated over one thousand two hundred (1,200) youths, both boys and girls. The project’s second rehabilitation center is St. Francis Rehabilitation Center situated in the South-West of Nakuru Town (Kaptembwa) while Mwangaza is located in the South-East of the town (Lake-View Slum).
 

 Currently, the project has the following categories:-

NB/ majority of the former project beneficiaries are self-employed while others are employed in private sectors and in the Local Government.

Strength

The programme’s strengths are derived from the general community’s willingness to be actively involved in supporting the programme’s activities e.g. feeding the children and the aged persons, and other donations in material and in kind.

 Constraints

 Programme Needs – Social Welfare

 School educational support to vulnerable groups of children:-

 Specific needs ; -

 Support towards the rehabilitation of old age persons.

Specific Needs

 Collaboration / Networking

The programme has continuously built linkages with agencies and programmes that promote the welfare of the marginalized and the disadvantaged members of the community.

As the programme endeavours to serve the poor in our communities, we sincerely thank those who have either individually or collectively supported our efforts. And we welcome any support from individuals or groups to assist the programme meet its objectives in the service of the less fortunate in our society.




           1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24
 

OUR  MISSION: To Promote Pastoral & Human Development through Evangelization & Community Mobilization