About Us

Who we are

We are a registered Society with a growing collective of young people and adults with lived experience with representation across all counties in Kenya. Every young person has a unique story about how they ended up in alternative care, however, we are all united by a common background of having spent all or part of our childhoods in care- these are formally or informally recognized models of alternative care i.e. charitable children’s institutions, rescue centers, children’s home, Kafaalah, foster care, Kinship care, adoption, and guardianship.

Our History

Our story as an organization started in 2007. An individual care leaver who felt that his personal experiences and challenges during care and after leaving care were likely shared by many others wanted to bring like-minded young people together. The group has evolved from a small support group of 8 young people with care experience who met in a single-roomed house, to a community-based organization led by 25 care leavers and having 250 members, and now a registered society with national representation and recognition. These young people, as active participants, have continued to influence laws, policies and practices at national, regional and global levels. Even having represented the lived perspectives to the United Nations.

What we do and How we do it

Recognizing the degree of marginalization and multiplicity of challenges faced by these young people before care, during and after care, we exist to essentially support these young people and adults to connect, belong, fully participate and thrive in society by:

Working with various stakeholders to provide opportunities where care leavers can learn to overcome trauma and violence.
Exploring opportunities to provide resources, life skills and knowledge that can help care leavers navigate the challenges of leaving care and life beyond care.
Creating platforms for meaningful participation in change, where their voices can be heard and feel free to share their stories and experiences in a safe and healing way and without discrimination, prejudice and victimization.
Working with those who believe in our cause to participate in spaces where we can be heard, participate meaningfully, and to influence policies, laws, and practices. We challenge the cycle of violence, neglect and exploitation in families, communities that result to family separation of thousands of children and young people and subsequent placement in alternative care.
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