Like many Kenyan towns, Kitale has a large population of 'street children'. Some are orphans from HIV/AIDS or tribal ethnic cleansing, others are runaways from abuse and degradation. All are scarred by the issues that forced them onto the streets. They are considered a nuisance at best, at worst, a positive threat to the Kitale community. This leads to constant harassment by the authorities and occasionally the death of the child. They are abandoned or ignored by their parents, have little or no education and rely almost exclusively on begging and petty crime for survival. Solvent abuse is common among the street children which often leads to serious anti-social behaviour. The authorities remain almost powerless to act; occasionally all the street children are rounded up by the police and handed over to Social Services. Social Services in turn try to locate their families, normally with little success, and most of the children are returned to the streets.

ICT-Kenya has been working in Kitale since 1992. ICT-K has managed to create projects that include such diverse elements as; Vocational Training, a Community Clinic, Agricultural and Community Development, with Children's Centres that serve to rehabilitate and reintegrate 'street children' into society. ICT-Kenya has had considerable success in getting kids off the streets and into formal education which has been achieved by offering 'street children' a stable home with adequate clothing, food, health care, affection and a sense of integrity instilled by giving each child carefully monitored responsibilities to himself and the small community he has joined.

ICT-K (NPYT) maintains a non-bias policy towards religion, ethnicity or background.

1999 school results - Out of the 196 resident children 40 are within the top 3 of their classes.

ICT-K (NPYT) publishes a newsletter, a selection of which can be viewed here:

June 2003 (.pdf ± 420 KB)
December 2000
March 2000
December 1999
March 1999

Liyavo Village Community Project - A Special report/appeal for funding