By Rodgers Omondi, Busia
Matayos Sub-county Children Officer Euphrasia Agala has called for the establishment of child rights clubs in schools to empower learners to understand and speak up for their rights in the face of increasing child rights violations.
Speaking during the Child Rights Inter-Club Competition under the Linda Mtoto Project by the Free Pentecostal Fellowship of Kenya (FPFK) in Busia town, Agala said empowering children with knowledge about their rights is key to addressing the growing cases of abuse and neglect.
“We have many child protection issues and violations in Busia and across the country. Training our children is a milestone in handling these cases because they are often the victims or close to those affected,” she said. “Child rights clubs give them an opportunity to learn and understand their rights and to advocate for their fellow children at home or in any environment.”
Agala lauded the inter-club competition for providing a platform for children to showcase their talents while learning about their rights.
“The competitions help build confidence, nurture talents, and promote public speaking. Through skits, dances, and poems, children can creatively communicate messages about their rights in ways that are easily understood by their peers,” she said.
She further urged parents to use the holiday period to mentor their children and instill positive values.
“Teach your children the right values. Do not surrender the responsibility of raising them to relatives. These young ones need mentorship. During the holidays, parents should play their role and also allow their children to learn life skills,” Agala added.
Linda Mtoto Project Coordinator Everline Achieng said they have established child rights clubs in four sub-counties in Busia—Teso North, Matayos, Teso South, and Teso Central—to educate learners about their rights.
“We trained 48 teachers drawn from the four sub-counties—16 head teachers and 32 child rights club patrons and matrons. Each trained teacher was tasked with forming a club in their school to help learners understand their rights,” Achieng explained.
She said the inter-club competition was also meant to assess the impact of the initiative among learners.
“We wanted to know if the message had reached the schools effectively, and we have seen great results. The children’s presentations show that they now understand their rights. We are going to use them as ambassadors to advocate for child protection and to help reduce cases of abuse,” she said.
Achieng added that the project would also leverage faith-based clubs to reach more children across different religions during the school holidays.
“Faith clubs bring together children from all backgrounds. By using these groups, we can reach more children and train them to speak up, identify abuse, and grow into responsible citizens,” she noted.
Teacher Edwin Wafula praised the initiative, saying it helps children become active participants in protecting themselves and their peers.
“When children are informed about their rights, they can identify violations and report them. This will help us intervene faster and safeguard them,” Wafula said.
Learners who took part in the competition, led by Catherine Auma, a deaf learner, expressed appreciation for the programme.
“The clubs have helped us learn and understand our rights. We will use this knowledge to protect other children from abuse, defilement, and neglect. We are grateful for the support we are receiving,” said Auma.
