Social Support
Jitegemee is determined to provide the social support our students were deprived of when they ended up in the streets. This social support is critical to keeping them in school even in the most difficult of circumstances. It includes a sense of belonging, genuine caring among community members, a sense of pride and self-accomplishment, and mutual respect and acceptance.
All our programs build social support—and our students’ self-esteem—by giving them the opportunity to give back to their communities and other destitute children like themselves. They are asked frequently to reflect on how they contribute, and what would enable them to play a larger role in helping others.
Other ways we provide social support include:
- Having students from all our programs come together daily at lunch time to eat, play and assist each other
- Hosting a Children’s Day of awards and recognition once a year
- Offering tutoring after school and during school breaks
- Providing counseling and adult encouragement and guidance
- Organizing internships for secondary students during school breaks at local hospitals, businesses or government offices
- Providing motivational speakers to inspire them to dream big
- Providing AIDS education, yearly medical screening and emergency health care
- Organizing educational field trips to the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi
- Taking the youths on overnight camping trips to places like Mombasa, Nakuru and Naivasha that have introduced them to Kenya’s natural wonders
In addition, Jitegemee hosts a parents group, which plans income-generating activities, such as cooperative farming or poultry production. We also work with parents, guardians and families to develop a healthier, more positive environment for youth.
