Action for Children in Conflict

Thika District, Kenya
in partnership with Action for Children in Conflict

Action for Children in Conflict (AfCiC) works to assist and transform the lives of children affected by various forms of conflict or crisis be it war, extreme poverty, hunger, illness, persecution, or neglect. Our projects focus on helping some of the most disadvantaged, disenfranchised and socially excluded children and young people in Africa. The children we work with come from backgrounds of abject poverty, family breakdown and abuse - both verbal and physical. They are in conflict with the law, living and working in the streets and have little or no access to formal education. Many resort to substance abuse as a means of escaping the cold and hunger which pervade their daily lives.

We believe that these children and young people have the capacity to change their own lives for the better, and it is our role to nurture this process. AfCiC works alongside the children and young people, helping to transform them into responsible individuals and productive members of their community, and empowering them to make positive decisions about their futures.

Action for Children in Conflict (AfCiC) is a UK based charity established in 1995 and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales in 1997(registered charity no. 1060894). AfCiC has two Head Office staff (a Finance Administrator/Office Manager and Fundraising Officer), a Community Fundraiser, and five charity shops across the Oxfordshire area. It currently operates in Kenya, but has previously run successful projects in Northern Uganda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, the UK and several other countries worldwide.

AfCiC works to break cycles of violence, hatred and despair by providing psychological, emotional and educational support to those affected by conflict. AfCiC focuses its activities on children and young people, who have the greatest capacity to transcend the conflicts of their communities and to bring about change in the future. Children are increasingly amongst the most vulnerable in conflict situations. Conflict isn't always the result of war. Poverty, desperation and despair also create situations where children suffer violence and neglect. AfCiC works to create places of safety where trained workers can provide a climate of support and befriending tailored to the needs of young people and their communities.

AfCiC's mission relates to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, notably the right to protection against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation; the right to affection, love and understanding; the right to free education and to full opportunity for play and recreation; the right to learn to be a useful member of society and to develop individual abilities; and the right to a peaceful world.

To achieve its mission, AfCiC is firmly committed to values that underpin all of its actions and aspirations. These values are:

· Respect for all.

· Acknowledgement and appreciation of difference.

· Tolerance and understanding.

· Equal opportunities.

Thika District, Kenya

Thika District, Kenya has a population of approximately 300,000 people. It was once Kenya's industrial heartland with vast coffee and pineapple plantations and many other industries. The collapse of the Kenyan coffee market in the 1990s and economic hardship hit the area hard, causing high unemployment and poverty. The slum area of Kiandutu developed and it now holds many of the area's problems, not least a generation of children growing up on the streets.

For more information about AfCiC’s great work please visit their website www.actionchildren.org or join them on Facebook