This archive report was first published on 1 July 2019.
Using children to beg undermines our core values ¶
As Matthew Roy Blunt, former Governor of Missouri State in the US, once said, 'Child abuse and neglect offend the basic values of our state. We have a responsibility to provide safe settings for at-risk children and facilitate permanent placement for children who cannot return home.'
Unfortunately, this is not a problem unique to the US. In Kenya, children are being used as begging machines by their parents, with some as young as one year old being forced to beg on the streets.
The use of children to beg is a widespread phenomenon in Kenya, with many children being denied their basic human rights, including the right to education, healthcare, and protection from abuse.
According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which Kenya ratified on July 30, 1990, children have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, and economic abuse.
However, despite the existence of laws such as the Children Act (Cap 586 Laws of Kenya), which came into force on March 1, 2002, children in Kenya continue to be used as slaves of poverty, with many being forced to beg on the streets.
It is the responsibility of the government, particularly the counties, to ensure that the welfare of children is protected and that they are provided with the necessary support and services to enable them to reach their full potential.
As Hugh Masekela sang in his famous song 'Send Me (Thuma Mina)', 'I wanna be there when the people start to turn it around. When they triumph over poverty. I wanna lend a hand.'
Let us be there for the children who are being abused and exploited. Let us lend a hand and work towards creating a society where all children can grow and thrive.
