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Taveta Area Program

Sponsor a child

Program Type

Community Development

Planned Life Cycle

2014 - 2029

Location

Kenya

Areas of Focus

Child Protection and Participation | Health

Program Timeline

Status: Active

Progress

18,491people participated in trainings, counseling or activities on preventing and responding to infectious diseases, such as COVID-19

Progress

2,438children attended early childhood development centres

Progress

2,438children attended in-school or after-school literacy activities

A white jeep driving through a muddy path, featuring a rainbow and trees in the background.

Program Details

Context

The Taveta community is home to more than 60,000 people, almost 20,000 of which are children. In this area, many trees have been cut down, damaging a large portion of the land's resources, while natural disasters such as floods and drought have also impacted the growth of livestock and crops. Although fences have been built to keep nearby wildlife away, animals such as elephants can still pose a threat to crops, livestock, and, to some extent, the community's overall safety. This not only impacts access to nutritious food, but business growth for local farmers and the general wellbeing of residents.

In Taveta, children are the most vulnerable, and often do not go to school or drop out early. Things like poverty, child labour, and child prostitution threaten children's sense of safety. Deeply rooted cultural values expose children, especially girls, to practices such as female genital mutilation and early or forced marriages. Children who have disabilities, are terminally ill, or who are affected by HIV and AIDS often face discrimination and cannot access basic education, health care, or loving support to grow and develop.

...
Challenges
Education
Education in Taveta is an issue, as children in both primary and secondary schools have been underperforming and doing poorly on exams. Part of the reason for this is structural, as schools do not have enough trained teachers or administrators to support the number of students attending classes. As a result, children often graduate without even the most basic skills, such as being able to read and write. Additionally, schools lack the necessary resources to have proper curriculum and extracurricular activities for children's social growth, as well as instruction in practical life skills.

Another reason children struggle in school is because of the lack of priority given to education. Children are not encouraged to regularly attend school and often miss class and eventually drop out altogether. A lack of role models also impacts children, as they are less empowered to understand the importance of learning, and, as a result, do not pursue academic goals.

In some areas of Taveta, children also struggle to even getting to school, as they might run into wild elephants from the surrounding Tsavo National Park. The schools cannot keep water in the tank they have for the students because the elephants will smell the water and destroy it. There is a need to negotiate with Kenya Wildlife services for more support to control the wildlife in these areas.

Health Care
The state of health care in Taveta needs improvement, especially when it comes to the children in the community. Due to challenges with farming, children often do not receive the nourishment they need to develop and grow properly. An assessment of children between six months and five years of age revealed that up to 40% were underdeveloped for their age.

In addition, poor sanitation and hygiene practices in the community create a number of diseases that leave children vulnerable, including malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Waterborne diseases occur frequently, which impacts the health of children.

HIV & AIDS
Many people in Taveta are also affected by HIV and AIDS. Although there are strong support groups within the area, there are too few interventions and initiatives to help teach school-aged children and community members about how to better prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.

Food
In Taveta, there are many issues with food security, some of which come as a result of natural disasters, such as drought and flooding. The community lacks resources to farm drought-resistant crops and cope with the frequent flooding that happens throughout the year. These disasters alone make it difficult for farmers to produce good crops, but the situation is made worse by wildlife whose presence threatens the wellbeing of fields, livestock, and people.

The cost to buy quality resources such as fertilizers, pesticides, and certified seeds is too high, and there is little information available on alternative farming techniques. Since they cannot use the best products and practices for their crops, farmers often use outdated methods, which produce less food for both their families and their businesses.

Water and Sanitation
Poor sanitation and hygiene practices are common in the community. There is frequent of flooding in Taveta, combined with poorly protected water sources. Additionally, the community struggles to properly manage natural resources, such as water sources. Often, farmers do not have enough water for their crops, and lack the knowledge to make the most of rainwater for irrigation....
Plans
Education
To ensure children can access and benefit from quality education, World Vision will assist the community to:
  • Strengthen the community infrastructure to successfully manage schools.
  • Promote motivational support as a way to improve student performance.
  • Build teacher skills and support current methods with enhanced training.
  • Improve learning environments in primary schools and early childhood programs.
  • Improve student literacy through community reading camps and teacher training.
  • Create reading materials for children in their local language.
  • Build linkages with Kenya Wildlife services for better ways of controlling the wild animals that prevent children from going to school.

Health Care
With the partnership of Canadian sponsors and the community, World Vision will work to:
  • Prevent the spread of waterborne diseases in children.
  • Equip children and families with practical life skills to avoid contracting illnesses.
  • Support development of community infrastructure to care for and protect children's health and wellbeing.

HIV & AIDS
To combat the spread and stigma of HIV & AIDS, World Vision will partner with the community to:
  • Strengthen the local infrastructure to educate community members in the prevention of HIV and AIDS.

Food
To ensure parents in Taveta can provide for their families, World Vision will partner with the community to:
  • Equip farmers with modern farming techniques Increase the production of food with drought-resistant crops.
  • Increase farmers ties to markets to ensure they get a fair price for their crops.
  • Build linkages with Kenya Wildlife Services for better ways of controlling the wild animals that destroy crops.

Water and Sanitation
In partnership with families and sponsors, World Vision will work with the community to:
  • Build and repair water sources to improve access to safe water.
  • Support families with knowledge about sanitation and the importance of boiling unclean water.
  • Strengthen the community's ability to manage the regular flooding that occurs in the area due to the water running down from Mount Kilimanjaro.
  • Strengthen the management of current water systems and create better access for both families and farmers.
  • Build community capacity to manage natural resources and respond to climate-change issues.
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An image of children sitting on the ground in a classroom, writing in workbooks.

Results

Unless otherwise stated, data presented on this page reflects the most up-to-date results of World Vision Canada programs reported between October 2022 and September 2023, and any previous fiscal years available. Previously reported data may not match the current presentation as we continuously receive and refine data from our programs. If you have any questions, kindly reach out to us.