The solution to problems lies in the community
COVID Support
Only Through Community
News
COMMISSIONING OF COMMUNITY FACILITATORS
Saint Martin CSA, Community Programme for Peace and Reconciliation has for the last three years (20..) been engaged in a project called 'Awakening Silenced Voices,' funded by Smart Peace an organization based in ….. The overarching aim of this project was to foster transformed communities where women and girls could live free from all forms of violence, being empowered to assert their rights and pursue personal aspirations. This objective was pursued through strategies that aimed at reducing the prevalence of gender-based violence in specific areas of Baringo and Laikipia counties.
Transforming Lives and Shaping a Compassionate World on World Humanitarian Day
The World Humanitarian Day is a time for reflection and solidarity. As an organization our journey is one of unwavering commitment to human values. As the world confronted pandemics like Covid-19 and grappled with unyielding drought, we stood strong, extending emergency response initiatives that reached far beyond immediate relief. Echoing the origins of World Humanitarian Day -a day born from tragedy, our response mirrors a dedication to addressing human suffering and reinstating dignity in adversity. Our commitment radiates through diverse projects of mental Health, children rights and peace building initiatives, our actions embody the spirit of World Humanitarian Day.
Intensive Outpatient Program
Prevalence of substance abuse remains high at 18% in Kenya despite the efforts of various stakeholders in addressing the problem in country. In Laikipia County, 17.3% of people are deemed to have substance use disorders according to a study commissioned by St. Martin CSA. An additional 11.6% are engaged in harmful or hazardous drinking behaviours. The most commonly abused drugs include alcohol, marijuana, khat/miraa among others. The situation is further compounded by the high rates of poverty and unemployment that makes it more difficult to institute effective interventions to those already affected. The low cost residential rehabilitation centres charges range from Kes.150,000/- to Kes. 180,000/-, for the three month rehabilitation program. Moreover, addiction has generally been considered to be an individual problem where others in including significant others and community member have very little to do with the interventions. As a result people affected by addiction are isolated and do not receive support from the people around them. Residential rehabilitation takes away the client from the usual environment where the client resides to an environment which is not real – when the person goes back to the community they face the same challenges that are likely to result in relapse. St. Martin CSA has therefore borrowed some aspects from the intensive residential rehabilitation, customized it to fit the local situation addressing the unique challenges that are found in our areas of operation. The goal of the program is to provide effective treatment at affordable cost compared to the residential rehabilitation (for those who qualify).
CREATING A SAFE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN
CREATING A SAFE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN
Marked every June 16th, the Day of the African Child is celebrated to honor children who took part in the 1976 Soweto uprising to demand for their rights and highlight the current situation of the African Child. Children have the right to life, survival, protection, wellbeing and development, and as so, we must strive to promote and protect those rights. The theme of this year “The Rights of the Child in the Digital Environment” is well suited for the prevailing realities of the African Child.
Empowering social safeguards
All those working with children, young people and vulnerable adults
must take reasonable steps to ensure risks to their welfare are minimised.
When concerns are raised, all parties involved must take appropriate action.’
St. Martin CSA works with vulnerable people who, for convenience, they are grouped together on the basis of their vulnerability:-people with disabilities, people with mental illness, survivors of gender-based violence, people living with HIV, children in need of care and protection etc. Depending on the context, these groups of people share some characteristics in common. In our context, they are largely alienated and suffer exclusion, discrimination and denial of inalienable human rights overtly and covertly. In spite of this classification by the nature of their vulnerability, they are unique individuals who require a person-centred approach to care and support. For instance, it is widely assumed that a disability-friendly toilet is one with a wide door that a wheelchair can pass through. Another example is a lamp to improve access to building for people with disabilities while the facilities and space within the premises are not disabilities friendly. Some of these interventions are made to comply with the law but not to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities. In the person-centred approach, we take into account each person’s experience, age, culture, gender, heritage, language, beliefs and identity and support the ‘person at the centre of the service’ in making decisions about their life.
